Ideas for younger Kitchen helpers

Little ones love the kitchen.
It's a noisy, rattly yummy experience. This is the place where magic happens! 
While they are young, there are several basics they can learn to help both you and them have wonderful experiences in the room!

Some are obvious: like always wash your hands first.   

Textures in the kitchen are amazing. If your little one wants to help, here are a few ideas they can manage and enjoy: 

Hand them a pile of lettuce and a bowl- they can tear the lettuce into pieces to start the salad.

Have them pull the celery apart and peel out the strings.
Have them fill the celery with peanut butter.

Have them butter the toast. Once older, Have them learn how to make toast. Rules are simple- show them the toaster, and the fact there is heating elements. "Never stick anything in the toaster." Wait, and butter.

Snapping fresh green beans or snap peas is a great start!

They love helping putting vegies into the sink, or the bowl of vinegar water or colander to wash! They earn what floats!

Have them rinse the beans in the colander before cooking. This is fun and a texture experience!

Have them help make sandwiches. Peanut butter and jelly or honey is great to start with!

Even if they cannot read yet, point out the recipe and have them help follow. Many mixes show pictures of the eggs and the cup of water. They can help and learn to follow directions, and starts reading skills and measuring skills.
 
Have them help stir the mix! Cake mix, cookie dough, pudding mix, all super yummy and all teach self control, improve dexterity,  and care in what they are doing. 

Have them help frost the cupcakes!  Or help decorate the gingerbread men! 

Have them help arrange the platter of raw vegies around the dip! This would involve stacking and sorting, colors, and vegie names!

The magic in the kitchen really is all about quality time and a fun experience. Any and every child, boy or girl, should learn the basics with joy -  without fear. This fosters healthy attitudes for entire family and healthy attitudes for real food. The more they know about healthy real food and how it works; the more likely they will continue good cooking habits later on in life. And, Yes!  the less likely they are to eat junk food. If a person enjoys cooking- the more real food they'll cook! 
  

 

Kitchen helpers

As a Mom, there is nothing better than to hear someone say, "Can I help?"
I welcome it, and have found it occurs often in the kitchen. It's natural, I believe, for kids to be curious.
To have the opportunity to teach basic steps of cooking is a wonderful and very natural thing to occur. Everyone needs to eat- we as humans have to consume to survive. And I, as a homeschooling mother of 2 boys, will never deny an opportunity to teach and nurture a natural desire to want to learn more.

All too often the curiosity of children in the kitchen is squelched due to time constraints, or parental fears of messes that so often can occur when kids attempt new things.
If I can do anything in this, I'd like to encourage parents to allow the mess, encourage the attempts, and realize an extra 5 minutes of sweeping or swiping is worth the invaluable lessons your child could be learning in the kitchen. The lessons truly go so much further than just edibles to be consumed. The kitchen contains thousands of textural, scientific, dexterity, self control, and progressive steps lessons within it- it can be an invaluable tool to the learning progress of any child.

If I can do anything in this blog, I'd hope to encourage you to cook with your children! I encourage it!
The smiles, laughter, joy and pride in their accomplishment are all the best reasons on earth to say yes when they ask to help. Encourage, not discourage. Create memories. And enjoy.

My oldest sons Chicken Parmesan! Completely done on his own!

Sopas: a perfect intro to masa dough, that kids love to play with and shape-  and build up later with yummy ingredients that they helped to chop and make!