Whether you’re looking to expose your picky eater to new ingredients or just hoping for a little more family time, getting your kids into the kitchen comes with a host of benefits. Over the past few weeks, we’ve asked you to share your “Bitesize Tips” – ideas for how to get kids cooking and more involved in meal prep. In just 140 characters or less, you shared some pretty great tips, from blasting music in the kitchen to arming your kids with their own pint-sized tools and aprons.
Today we want to build upon those ideas and hopefully help you all get those kids who aren’t already kitchen pros, measuring, peeling, and stirring with the best of them.
Kids as young as two can play a role in meal prep and, by the time they’re teenagers, they might even take the lead in putting meals together. Here are a few of our favorite ways to get kids cooking at every age:
2-to-3-year-olds
Even the youngest kids can help in the kitchen. Toddlers are always looking for grown-up things to do, and letting them participate in food prep makes them more likely to try new foods. Plus, there’s the added bonus of fine-tuning their still-developing motor skills. Try:
4-to-5-year-olds
Rising kindergartners are ready to pick up some more advanced skills and can even put some of what they’re learning in school to use in the kitchen. Try:
6-to-7-year-olds
With fine motor skills comes more responsibility. Introduce your kids to trickier techniques, and with supervision (and age-appropriate cutlery) your child might even be ready to start practicing those knife skills. Who doesn’t love to chop? Try:
8-to-9-year-olds
After mastering the basics, 8-to-9 year olds are ready to be a little more independent in the kitchen and can take on more advanced tasks. Try:
10-to-12-year-olds
After 8 years of experience, these kids are practically pros. Coach them on food safety and guide them through more advanced cooking techniques. Next thing you know, come dinnertime, they’ll be leading the way and you’ll be their new sous-chef.
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