Teaching Kids To Cook

If you're looking for new ways to bond with the little ones, and you don't have too much room to play outdoors and plopping down in front of the television won't cut it anymore, why don't you try something different, like cooking together?

Cooking is a great way to spend time with kids, while teaching them something new. As you train your future chef, here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Safety
Make sure that all sharp tools are kept away, or are used only with your permission. Check if you have enough space for two people to move around safely in the kitchen. While you may be used to being in your kitchen, it's different for kids, as most countertops, drawers, and cabinet doors are accident-prone areas for them.

2. Cleanliness
Start with a reminder on why it is a must to wash not just your hands, but the raw vegetables, meats and other products before starting anything else. This is a great time to work in a habit that will hopefully stick with the little cook for life.

3. Extra time
While getting dinner ready on our own can take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, it's best to add in a bit more time as you will have someone new around the kitchen, fumbling a bit and asking about so many things. It's best to give them a chance to start slow and finish what they started working on, rather than you taking over in the middle to make up for the time.

4. CLAYGO (Clean As You Go)
Show the little one that while the food may already be ready, that's not where everything ends. Clean up after yourselves, that way the kids learn that when they help out with cooking, they should be helping out completely and not end up adding more work for you or someone else after.

5. Announcement
Make the day the kids cook a special day, where the family can get together after to celebrate what the little ones have worked on. This way, they feel extra special and look forward to getting back in the kitchen again to prepare something for everyone else.

If you're looking for recipes to start with, try the kiddie-friendly recipes available on Del Monte Kitchenomics.