How to Involve Your Kids in the Kitchen: 8 Ideas

This is a guest post from Samara Kamenecka, a VA specializing in SEO and content creation. When she’s not hanging out with her husband, their two kids and their dog, she blogs about everything from toddler toys to traveling with babies on www.tinyfry.com. 

If you are interested in guest posting on For the Love of Blank please email Jordyn at fortheloveofblank@gmail.com

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

As far as parenting goes, I think I’m doing a darn good job on most accounts. 

That said, I do have my shortcomings; one of which has to do with meals. Basically, I’ve failed at getting my kids excited about trying new foods and appreciating a variety of flavors. 

After a long day, the last thing I feel like is getting creative about dinner. Instead, I rely on a handful of staple recipes, which are healthy but hardly inspired. I’ve often wondered, is it too late to help my kids generate a fondness for cooking?

I decided to at least introduce basic kitchen skills to my children, even at their young age. By getting them involved in in various aspects of meal time, I’ve managed to spark their interest in several ways. For example, they’re asking how basil from the garden becomes the turns into the pesto that they eat with pasta. 

So, if you’re eager to share the magic of the kitchen with your kids, give these activities a try!

How to involve your kids in the kitchen: 8 ideas

Shop together

Realistically, bringing kids to the grocery store can be like bringing bulls into a china shop. However, if you involve them in picking out a handful of ingredients, it’s manageable. Explain what you’re shopping for and then let them search for the items. Giving them a hands-on experience encourages them to ask questions and become invested in the whole cooking experience.

Set the mood 

Set out placemats, plates, napkins, glasses, and cutlery and ask your kids to set the table. Give them a chance to make a centerpiece or place-cards for each seat. When they see how much you appreciate their help and their creativity, they’ll be proud to be part of the meal prep. 

Spin it around

My 4-year old thinks the salad spinner is the greatest invention ever. While I explain the importance of washing produce, she spins the lettuce and then tosses it into a bowl. I give her some cut up tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots and she throws those in as well. While she’s not quite up to eating a full bowl, she will sample the veggies and, for now, that’s good enough for me!

Spice it up

Line up your most commonly used spices and let the kids take turns smelling and tasting them. Ask them how they’d use each spice and then try out their suggestions. This is a great way to introduce a range of sweet, salty, and bitter flavors.

Grow it yourself

Whether you have outdoor space or various indoor containers for a garden, allow the kids to pick what they want to grow. Plant and water the seeds together and discuss the life-cycle of a plant as you monitor its growth. In my experience it’s much easier to coax kids into tasting something they’ve grown themselves (although, sadly, there’s no guarantee that they’ll love it!).

Cut it all up

Did you know there are knives that can dice and slice fruits and vegetables, but won’t cut skin? These working, kid-friendly tools are perfect for your little dare devil who keeps asking to cut food with a “grown up knife.” They are safe enough so you can teach proper knife skills. While your little chef practices, no one has to worry about accidently getting hurt.

Mash it up

One of the most satisfying kitchen chores is peeling and mashing potatoes. You’ll want to supervise the use of a potato peeler, but when it comes to the mashing, let the kids go for it (while you add some milk to create the desired consistency). Everyone loves to eat mashed potatoes, but the kids will think they taste even better since they made them themselves. 

Read about it

Grab a stack of illustrated cookbooks (from the library if you don’t have any at home), and flip through the recipes with your kids. Ask them to point out what looks tasty and what doesn’t. Select one or two dishes and commit to making them together within the next couple of weeks.

Play the part

How about opening a “restaurant” in your own home? Let the kids come up with a name for a restaurant, make menus, and decorate the table. You may need to help with the food preparation, but otherwise let the young ones run the show. Play along by making “reservations,” dressing up, and making the most of your “night out!” 

A tasty challenge

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if all kids were born with the burning desire to eat a variety of healthy foods? Unfortunately, the opposite is often true. As a result, parents spend far too much time negotiating family meals.

Let’s try to look at this problem in a new light. Instead of getting frustrated and falling back on the same old boring recipes, challenge your family to turn meals into an exciting and enjoyable learning experience.