Imagine how nice it would be to have help in the kitchen. Typically, a parent’s job is planning and preparing food, however teaching your child to help will allow them to become more self-sufficient. For a parent of young kids, this seems like a dream! With a little patience and guidance, there are many age-appropriate food preparation activities for kids.
When Kids Help
- They increase the variety of foods in their diet, including fruits and vegetables.
- Children learn and improve quickly and this builds confidence in the kitchen. Their skills and healthy habits follow them into adulthood.
- Family connections are created.
- Teens feel a sense of connection and do better in school, have better emotional regulation, and are less likely to engage in risky behavior.
Engaging Kids in the Kitchen
- Expect it to take longer and be messier than usual. Have patience and set the expectation that clean-up is part of the process.
- Involve kids in recipe selection using images of the food; adjust ingredients for food preferences.
- Choose an appropriate task based on age or current skill.
- Ages 2–3: Mix, mash, tear, scoop and stir.
- Ages 3–5: Crack eggs, fill dishwasher and pour premeasured ingredients.
- Ages 5–7: Keep practicing! Your child is developing fine motor skills essential to food preparation.
- Ages 7–9: Open cans, peel, supervised knife handling and use food thermometers.
- Age 9–12: Cook with stove, oven, or microwave and follow recipes (Bonus: your kids are using math skills!).
Live Smart Colorado feature articles, developed by Colorado State University Extension specialists, provide research-based, practical information to support lifelong nutrition, physical, financial, and emotional health and well-being for Coloradans.