Kids in the Kitchen - Part Two

When writing Kids in the Kitchen - Part One I was reminded that cooking with children is such a rich environment for adventure, so I continued writing…..and here is Part Two. Scroll down for three more ideas to inspire you to get into the kitchen with your kids more regularly.

More than biscuits and cakes - setting up healthy habits

Cooking with kids can be about more than just baking biscuits (which is obviously fun and can definitely be a great choice). But cooking can also be;

• making a salad

• picking, washing and chopping vegetables for a stir-fry

• making omelettes or savoury pancakes

• mixing baked pasta dishes

• making pizza dough from scratch, then making pizza

• making fruit salad or fruit skewers, or a fruit platter

• crumbing chicken or fish pieces to make a schnitzel or “nuggets” or “fingers”

• getting the slow-cooker ready

• making pasta sauce.

• Really anything that is a regular family meal for you, there will be ways that even the smallest children can contribute and connect.

Add a connection with the garden/family/friends

People connection;

It can be challenging for parents to do all the hard work. So why not get some support from others. Aunty, Uncle, Grandparent, cousin or friend. It just has to be someone who is patient with your child and with mess (probably helps if they like cooking).

If you have more than one parent/carer and more than one child, get the whole family involved in cooking together.

Garden connection;

• Plant some vegetables, fruit or herbs, or even edible flowers.

• Make it easy for small hands to pick or collect - snow peas, parsley, nasturtiums or leafy greens.

• Garden produce can be included in the meal, or added as a garnish

Even small jobs can be useful

There are SO many opportunities for learning and fun in the kitchen. Measuring, pouring and mixing involve hand-eye co-ordination, build fine-motor skills and give your child a lived experience of concepts such as volume, weight and density. Start with their current skill level (which may not align with their age or what another child can manage). Build their skill from where they are, rather than being worried about where they “should” be or what they “should” already be able to do.

Here are some jobs that may be useful;

• egg cracker - an absolute favourite of many children! It does not matter if there are bits of shell in the batter, you can pick these out. Give your child plenty of space to get better at the job over time. Show them how you do it, talk to them about what YOU do when you crack an egg and let them know what to expect…or give them an egg and see how they manage! As always, follow the personality of your child. The experience could certainly challenge them (and you), but shouldn’t cause distress.

• mushroom chopper - mushrooms are the best for children who have built some skill and can manage a knife…but who are not yet ready for carrots or onions, or who you’re not comfortable giving a sharp knife.

• taste tester - another favourite! This one can be challenging to manage sometimes, but think about checking the spice blends or herb flavours, or sweetness. Taste testing is not just licking the bowl of cake batter.

• spice mixer - a favourite memory for me is cooking with my youngest child, who even at a very young age was super helpful in the kitchen. An early job I gave her was to mix the different spices, either into the mortar and pestle, or straight into the slow-cooker. She had seen me do it a number of times, so had an intuitive sense of which ones to use and in what amounts. She is still my spice mixer and is very good at it.

• pourer of wet ingredients into the bowl - when your child is new to cooking, it may just be too messy to get them to pour liquids into measuring cups. Keep this mess for outdoors in the mud kitchen! You could help them hold the measuring cup (over the bowl) whilst you pour in the liquid. Once they are steady with the weight of the liquid, get them to pour it into the bowl themselves.

• garnish assistant - this is one my other child really loved doing. She would skip out to the garden and get some parsley or mint to add on top. Sometimes the garnish was a dollop of yoghurt, or some berries, or spring onions. It doesn’t matter what it is, nor whether they eat it even! But it can help a very small child contribute to a family meal.

• fruit or vegetable washer - I’ve never met a kid who doesn’t like sticking their hands into a sink full of water! If they love soapy bubbles, then you could even give the produce a proper bath (just be sure to rinse it properly afterwards)

Enjoy your cooking adventures!