Cooking with Children
WIC Playground
Cooking with Children
Cooking with your children is a fun and productive way to spend time with them. It can also help picky eaters try a larger variety of foods. If they helped make it, they will usually try it. Obviously children need supervision and can only perform certain tasks. These are not strict rules and your child may be able to do more or less than what is listed below. Snack time is a great opportunity to get kids involved in the kitchen. They will, however, be more helpful and patient if they are not hungry.
Cooking is also a great way to help children feel successful and special. Consider buying them their own apron or mixing spoon Remember, even if the recipe doesn’t turn out perfectly continue to praise them for trying their best. It is the nature of small children to make a mess, expect this in the kitchen, and have them help with clean-up as well.
Cooking Skills by Age
2-3 Years Old
- Hold a conversation about food
- Mash boiled foods
- Name and count foods
- Pour liquids
- Pour measured ingredients
- Scrub potatoes
- Spread cream cheese and peanut butter
- Stir with a spoon
- Tear lettuce
- Wash fruits and vegetables
3-4 Years Old
- Grease pans
- Mix dry and wet ingredients
- Open packages
- Peel bananas, oranges, and hard-boiled eggs
- Shape meatballs
- Snip with dull scissors
- Use cookie cutters
- Use measuring cups and spoons
4-5 year olds:
- Crack an egg (have them practice into an empty bowl)
- Grease pans
- Make sandwiches
- Measure ingredients with help
- Mix ingredients
- Pour milk and juice with help
- Set the table
- Sort and group foods
- Toss salads
- Use vegetable peelers
Links for Cooking with Children
Cooking with Children
Cooking with Kids
http://www.cookingwithkids.com/
Family Fun
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/feature/famf010502_ffteach/famf010502_ffteach.html
WIC Works Resource System
http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Topics/kids_kitchen.html
Recipes
Family Fun
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/
Kraftfoods.com
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/ff/kids/
School Nutrition Association
http://docs.schoolnutrition.org/recipes/
USDA
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/kids-pyramid.html
