Getting Kids Involved With Cooking
Cooking is an amazing way for children to learn about food, nutrition, the kitchen and to express themselves creatively.
However, they often ask at the most inopportune times. When you’re on top of your head trying to juggle your long list of to do’s, an eager, “helpful”, child is not what you wish for. Here are some tips to try and take the stress out of getting the kids involved with cooking.
Hit the Cook Books
Get the cook books out and ask the kids to note a few recipes they’d like to make. Then, with your help, narrow it down to one recipe. Ask your child to write out a list of ingredients. Together, go through the kitchen to see what you have and what you need to buy.
Decide When you’ll cook Together
You need to decide what day you will cook together. Choose a day when you’re schedule isn’t too full on. If you have a busy day, the changes are you’re going to be stressed and the whole thing will be a headache.
Buy your ingredients
Go to the supermarket together or sit down together is you are doing an online shop. Involve your child with choosing what to buy and use it as an opportunity to teach them about amounts needed and cost. Explain to them why you’re choosing one brand over another, how you can compare prices, just because something is cheaper it doesn’t mean it’s better value, look at the packaging sizes, the nutritional values, etc.
Health and Hygiene
Before you start make sure the work area is clean and clear, hair is tied back, hands are clean, etc.
Measurements
In your childs math lesson they talk about units of measurement, but this is a real life teaching scenario. Even if your child finds measurements confusing, when it’s in context in a real life event, it will often make more sense to them. Seeing 10ml and 100ml written down on paper is very different to seeing 10mll and 100ml measured out.
Such a Mess!
Let the kids get messy. If they get shell in the egg, it’s not the end of the world. Instead show them what to do to correct it. Even though they might not do things as well as you would, let them do it. Hands on experience is the way they learn. Also get them involved with the cleaning up as you go along. If you save all the cleaning until the end the kids will probably be long gone!
Once everything is cooked, let them help dish everything up and sit down to eat and enjoy it together.
Cooking is a life skill that everyone should learn. The earlier you start, the better!