Cooking with Children
Involving children in the cooking process (and the cleaning up!) can be a great way to bring intention into a necessary part of the day. Setting children up with simple tasks to help with a recipe can be an engaging activity and can often help them be more interested in the final product. In the classroom, we often have simple food preparation activities available to children at all times, so you could certainly try having something similar at home, which also encourages independence in children meeting their needs. It is also fun to try new recipes together. Children love counting out measurements, spreading, stirring, and chopping!
Helpful Tools for Children’s Use
Nylon Serrated Knives (set of 3)
Manual Food Processor: This is an amazing tool to use with children as it allows them to be involved in areas of food preparation that are often deemed more dangerous or difficult (e.g., shredding cheese, chopping onions). The blade is contained within the food processor, and they turn the handle to operate.
Nylon Serrated Knife, Vegetable Peeler, and Vegetable Scrubber Set
Independent Food Prep Ideas
Chopping apples, cucumbers, pickles, carrots, bananas, etc. for snacks
Chopping vegetables for roasting
Spreading jam, butter, or nut/seed butters on crackers, apples, or bread
Peeling and separating oranges
Peeling and slicing hard-boiled eggs
Collaborative Project Ideas
Kneading is a perfect job for a preschooler. Use those muscles!
Cookies with Simple Ingredients
Baking is a great opportunity to talk about the science and math found in cooking.
Guacamole and Chips