Cooking with kids is not just about ingredients, recipes, and cooking. It’s about harnessing imagination, empowerment, and creativity.

Guy Fieri

Have you ever tried to do a cooking or baking project with your kids and halfway through thought to yourself “Why on EARTH did I try this?” I have! I won’t judge if you’ve thought the same, I promise. I think we sometimes have these grand plans and wonderful ideas, and then when something goes south, like it will usually do with small children involved, we decide “never again”. Here’s the thing though- you need to do it again. Getting your kids in the kitchen with you is such a blessing (yes, a messy blessing) and I want to tell you why.

What Do They Learn?

When we let our children help us in the kitchen they are learning SO much! They gain confidence, especially when we celebrate their efforts with them. “You did such amazing work whisking that egg!” “You tried so hard with the dishes. Thank you!” You will see the glow flood across their face, their chests puff up, and that smile that we all live for will be on their face.

Cooking and baking also gives children a chance to practice team work. Having to work together with parents/caregivers and siblings to get the cooking or baking project completed is a lot of work for little ones, and it is a skill that will be necessary for the rest of their lives.

A skill that many young children need a lot of practice in is patience. Guess what they will learn while waiting for a loaf of bread to rise or a batch of cookies to come out of the oven? That’s right, patience!

Math and science are also very up front and center when in the kitchen. Fractions, “what if”, and “why”, addition, subtraction, and dividing ingredients. All skills that are necessary in every day life, and in my humble opinion, best learned hands on.

What Are the Benefits?

There are so many perks to having your kids in the kitchen with you, starting with the fact that it’s just nice to spend quality time with them. Your relationship with them will be stronger, and the memories they are creating will be something they look back on for many, many years to come.

Kids are also more likely to eat what they are involved in helping to make. If you have a picky eater (like I do!) get them in to help you! Involving your children in kitchen projects will also promote healthy habits, because like I just mentioned, if they are involved in helping they are more likely to try those roasted veggies at dinner time.

Tips For Kitchen Fun

Let’s take our rose colored glasses off for one second. I am well aware that having your kids in the kitchen with you is stressful. The messes will happen, there may be small breakdowns over who’s turn it is, and someone is bound to get upset. I know. I have been there, and I’ve been there multiple times, unfortunately. So how can you make it as fun and low stress as possible? Glad you asked!

• Be Patient and Encouraging It can be hard for us to stay positive when a bowl of batter hits the floor, or there are tears flowing and we don’t know why. As the adults and role models in this situation, it is perfectly acceptable to take a step back and take a deep breath. Show those little ones how to do the same! Then smile, and get back at it. Try to remember that while we want those cookies to turn out beautifully, the process of making them is sometimes (most times) more important.
• Start Small and Age Appropriate Nothing can derail a project faster than handing a toddler a task that is best suited for an older child. Make sure what you are asking is age appropriate and small to begin with. Baking is my favorite for small children because everyone can take a turn pouring a pre-measured ingredient into the bowl!
• Set Expectations First It is always a good idea to let everyone involved know what the expectations are before you start. They will forget and this is where my first tip comes into play. Take a deep breath and remind them “Everyone will get a turn to pour something in the bowl! We are being so patient while we wait for our turn. Who wants to count while we wait? 1, 2, 3…” This brings them back to what they were told in the beginning, and reassuring that, yes waiting is SO hard but they will get a turn.
• Prepare for the Number of Participants This is one I learned the hard way when I still had a classroom full of toddlers. We ran out of ingredients before we got to the last child. It was not good, and while I improvised and everyone ended the activity happy, it could have been avoided altogether. If you are short on ingredients use a small measuring cup so everyone gets a turn. Instead of 1 cup, use 2 half cups, and so on. For older kids look ahead at the steps involved and make sure there is something for everyone to do.

~Tara