Kids in the Kitchen! August 22, 2024 General Including your kids in meal prep can be both fun and a great learning opportunity. Not only is cooking a basic skill, but it can be a great way to bond with your child. Yes, it does get messy and might not be efficient in the beginning, but it will pay off in the long run. We often include our kids in baking sweet treats, but never include them in the normal everyday meal preparations. Why is that? There is SO much for our kids to gain by cooking alongside us! Why is it important to cook “Wholesome” foods with your kids? Fine motor skills: Learning new kitchen skills, helps kids develop their fine motor skills by using their hands in different ways. This in turn will help them in handwriting and other practical tasks. Food Exposure: By allowing your kids to cook alongside you, they will become comfortable with a large variety of different foods! Often, we see that if kids help prepare the meal they are much more likely to try the food, or munch on it as they cook 😉 Life Skills: This is one of the biggest benefits! You want your kids to grow up and intuitively cook wholesome meals, rather than having no idea where to begin. Confidence: Gaining any new skill is a wonderful confidence booster for kids. And as they grown and gain more confidence in the kitchen, they will have the opportunity to serve the family by cooking for Mom & Dad. Ways kids can help: Start small & teach 1 skill at a time! Pouring and mixing pre-measured ingredients Tearing lettuce Washing produce at the sink or in a bowl Picking herbs or pulling leaves of herb stems Peeling hard boiled eggs Spreading nut butters, cream cheese, butter or hummus with a spreading knife Peeling bananas or cuties Mashing Potatoes Helping grab items for school lunch box Helping place frozen fruits or veggies in the blender for a smoothie Pouring cereal or oatmeal into their bowl Grating cheese or carrots Set and clear the table Bring scraps to the trash I hope this encourages you to get cooking with your children!! Enjoy this video that shares appropriate tasks depending on your child’s age. 😊 Comments are closed.