During the holidays, it’s common to spend more time in the kitchen than normal, baking cookies, cakes and other special treats for family and friends.
Why not enlist the kids to help out? It’s a great time to teach them about cooking techniques, nutrition and has the added benefit of increasing self-confidence. They will be proud to share their creations with loved ones.
Begin with teaching the basics of baking or cooking by talking about the importance of following the recipe, gathering the needed supplies, and how to measure ingredients. Children as young as three, have the ability to help gather supplies, stir or use cookie cutters. Need some ideas on what a child is able to safely do in the kitchen? Visit eatright.org where there is more information on tasks that children can perform.
Some things to remember:
- Set some ground rules such as washing hands before starting to prepare foods.
- Assign the child a task from the recipe that they are safely able to prepare with their abilities.
- Have FUN!
