Sweet Peas and ABCs

Recipes and learning activities with kids in the kitchen

Getting Ready

Ten Tips for Getting Ready to Cook with Kids

  1. Set ground rules.  Kids are more likely to follow your expectations if they’re clearly laid out from the start.  It’s a lot harder to follow rules if you seem to be making them up as you go.  Keep it simple with these three rules:
    1. Ask permission before using new tools.
    2. Never touch the stove or oven without permission.
    3. Listen to directions. 
  2. Plan what you are going to make WITH your child.  Invite your child to help choose a recipe or meal they would like to make for the family.  Help them learn to plan ahead by looking around the kitchen to see which ingredients you already have and what you’ll need to purchase.  Then, take them shopping!
  3. Prepare a safe space for them to work.  Children need to feel like they’re prepared for and aware of what they’re getting into.   Think about how you feel when you start a new job and how comforting it is to find your desk, your new space.   For little ones, this might look like a step stool, a clip-on high chair, or fenced-in “learning tower” for them to stand on.  For older kids, this just might mean they have a designated place at the counter. Clip on high chair
  4. Think about basic needs before getting started.  Get everybody a glass of water to have near their workspace. Grab a healthy snack to munch on while cooking or snack on some leftover ingredients from your recipe. Does anybody need to go to the bathroom?
  5. Wash, wash, wash! Wash your hands before starting to cook.  Wash them again if you touch raw meat, crack an egg or just generally get them really messy! Also wash vegetables and fruit for your recipe first.  This is a great job for little helpers and an important one too.
  6. Prepare for your recipe.  This means taking out all of the tools you’ll need for your recipe and gathering your ingredients.  By putting in the prep time first, you’re not running around searching for ingredients or tools when you’re supposed to be keeping an eye on the stove, or your little one.
  7. Explain and demonstrate how to use tools in the kitchen.  This tip builds off of tip #3. The more they understand up front, the more prepared and confident they’ll feel when you begin your recipe.
  8. Read and follow directions.  Not only is this tip essential for cooking and baking, but also very important in the school setting and in life!  As you’re cooking, read each step aloud to them (or with them if they can read).  Teach them to follow the directions carefully so the recipe turns out as intended.  This tip is especially important in baking as measurements need to be more precise.
  9. Set the expectation that cleanup is part of cooking.  This is a big one.  Before even beginning your recipe, explain how each person can help clean up at the end.  Kids can help dry dishes and put them away, load the dishwasher, put ingredients away and wipe the counters.  Older kids can even help wash dishes.  They may even look forward to it, if they know what their “job” is beforehand.  I personally try very hard to keep a clean kitchen as we’re cooking.  After we’re done using a bowl, I place it to the side so I can stack smaller bowls and utensils inside as we use them as well.  I keep one of the bags from the produce we’re using on the counter and throw peelings and other trash into it for easy clean up.  I also keep a wet dishrag nearby to wipe up quick messes to keep our work area clean.  I try to put ingredients away, or at least gather them together on the side, after we use them.  These little steps make our work space a lot less cluttered and oftentimes helps cut down on spills or other mishaps while we’re cooking.  Although it doesn’t always happen, when it does, I find it lessens the blow of a full kitchen clean up at the end of a meal.  Inevitably though, there is cleanup after cooking. Cleanup
  10. Enjoy the experience. Know this now: it will get messy.  Even adults are messy when they cook.  Throw a kid or two into the mix and watch out!  It’s all part of the fun and everything can be cleaned (especially if you’ve set that expectation).  So if someone spontaneously starts a flour fight, go with it.  You’ll make a wonderful mess and a wonderful memory.