There’s no reason why cooking with kids should end in a messy kitchen and exhausted parents. When you consider their interests and what their ability could handle, then cooking can be a lot of fun for both the parents and the kids. Here are some ways to make cooking with children more fun.
4 Easy Ways to Make Cooking with Children More Fun
The kids will have fun in the kitchen when they enjoy what they do. This means giving them tasks that suit their age and ability. There are also other ways you can turn cooking into a fun activity.
Assign Simple Tasks
If you are cooking with kids, then begin with simple yet delicious recipes because the procedures for these are usually easy. Remember, some simple tasks which adults find boring are often fun for kids. Here are some examples of small tasks that children might find exciting.
- Grate cheese and carrots: This is really fun for some kids – best of all, it is easy to do. Parents would usually want to skip this basic process because it is indeed boring. Let your children do this for you instead.
- Mash potatoes: This is another easy task that children would find exciting whether using a fork or a masher.
- Peel eggshells: It is fun to crack eggs and remove portions of the shells one at a time. It is a relaxing activity with a certain level of fulfillment each time you finish.
- Beat eggs: There is no doubt about this. You had so much fun beating eggs too when you were their age. Let them experience the same feeling you had when your mom asked you to mix the pancake batter for breakfast.
- Season to taste: If you can’t let them prepare the ingredients in their correct proportions, then maybe they can be the one to sprinkle salt and pepper on what you’re cooking. Let them experience mixing ingredients together, too.
Get Cool Kitchen Tools
Kids are naturally curious. Many times, they find it interesting to use things that are new to them, such as kitchen tools. Using real kitchen tools feels like playtime – or even better.
Peelers, mashers, scoops, and other tools in attractive colors and shapes are a great way to encourage kids to enjoy tasks in the kitchen.
Keep It Clean
Parents know how disastrous it can get when they leave even small kitchen tasks to their children alone. The mess is probably the main reason why parents would just not let their children participate in cooking.
However, cooking is one of the best indoor activities for kids. Perhaps parents can make cooking with kids more fun by ensuring that the kitchen remains a pleasant environment before, during, and after the activity.
The kitchen could get really messy if you ignore every spill, fruit peeling, or dirty kitchen tools. The best way to maintain a pleasant cooking environment and a blissful mood is to clean after your children. You would not want the dirty plates and tools to pile up either. So clean right after they use this or that.
Put all items that your children will use on a tray. These include both the ingredients and the tools. Keeping things organized is one way to reduce clutter. Then after use, let them place all used items back on the tray.
Encourage Communication
Finally, communication strengthens the bond between parents and their children. Exchange small talks and laughter with your kids while cooking. Let them know they can always talk to you and communicate in a way that’s assertive and makes them feel confident, even if they don’t know how to do something.
Once they’ve mastered the skills maybe try some simple recipes like a Tartiflette
Conclusion
Cooking with your little ones can be fun when you let them do what they find exciting. Let them do simple tasks and experience real-life kitchen tools. This is also a good time to share some stories and good laughs with your children.