Have you ever tried cooking with your child?
When your child spends time with you in the kitchen, it can help them develop new skills and lay the foundation for healthy eating habits. It may also encourage them to try new foods. Here are some tips on how to spend time with your child in the kitchen:
At ages 2 and 3, kids can explore food with their senses. Help your toddler discover the colors, shapes, and textures of different fruits and veggies. Show them the different steps of preparing a food. While baking bread, for example, you can encourage your toddler to touch the dough, listen to the mixer, smell the bread baking in the oven, and last but not least, taste the bread!
Young kids can help with many small tasks such as:
- tearing lettuce
- stirring batter
- adding ingredients to a bowl
- helping you turn the pages of a cookbook
- tasting a food (that’s not hot) to help you decide if it’s ready
As kids get older, they can help with more complex tasks such as:
- counting or measuring ingredients
- cracking eggs
- doing math while adding ingredients
- talking about the ingredients and good nutrition
Remember to always supervise your child in the kitchen.
Click here for more tips on cooking with your pre-school aged child and here for tips on cooking with your school-aged child.