How Kids Can Help in the Kitchen

Managing meal preparation and toddler(s) simultaneously can be a daunting task. You can make it easier by having your little ones help in the kitchen. Instead of having to cut playtime short so you can go cook (the cause of much toddler angst), start cooking a little earlier and call it playtime. Here are a few things I’ve found even my two-year-old can do.

• Pour. With plastic measuring cups and a guiding hand from an adult, kids can fill bowls with all kinds of things, and improve their hand-eye coordination at the same time. Sometimes it’s best if you pre-measure everything first, and have the cups all lined up, ready to go.
• Mix. Spoons and pots, even empty, are natural kids’ toys. When you’re ready to try the real thing, use a larger bowl than you normally would, and stand by to block splashes and ward off random tastings.
• Knead. This has the same appeal (if not the same colors) as Play-Doh. Dust your kids’ hands with flour, and go at it. (You’ll probably need to do a minute or two by yourself at the end, to make the dough really form a ball.) I’ll sometimes knead up a dough with my son before his afternoon nap. While he’s napping, I shape it and give the bread its second rise, then put it in the oven in time for dinner.
• Snap. Green beans are great for this. Trim the ends as needed, yourself, and let junior break the beans into two or three pieces and put them in a bowl. Fresh beans with a good “snap” sound are particularly satisfying.
• Shake. Making salad dressing? Put the ingredients into a small plastic container with a tight lid, and your child can shake it up.
• Season. Shaking spices on or into dishes is great fun. Stand by to grab the container if your child gets too enthusiastic, or make sure your recipe can handle a little extra oomph. (Don’t try this with chili powder.) A squeeze-handled pepper grinder also works well.
• Snip. Once your child is old enough to use kids’ safety scissors, you can buy a pair just for food use, and let your child cut up parsley, chives, and other herbs.

Kitchen competence is a basic life skill, but who knows? You could also be raising the next star of the culinary world.