Denver Association of Family Child Care

Cooking with Children: Kids in the Kitchen

Sep 24, 2000

Children learn by touching, tasting, feeling, smelling, and listening. They love to help prepare food and cook because they can use all their senses. Children like to eat the foods they make. Plan ways children can help you. Be sure to consider the age of the child.

Two-year-olds are learning to use the large muscles in their arms. They will enjoy activities such as:

scrubbing vegetables and fruits
wiping tables
dipping vegetables and fruits
tearing lettuce and salad greens
breaking bread for stuffing
snapping fresh beans

Three-year-olds are learning to use their hands.
Try activities such as:

pouring liquids into a batter
mixing muffin batter
shaking a milk drink
spreading peanut butter on firm bread
(This may be messy!)
kneading bread dough

Four-and five-year-olds are learning to control smaller muscles in their fingers. Offer them experiences such as:

rolling bananas in cereal for a snack
juicing oranges, lemons, and limes
mashing soft fruits and vegetables
measuring dry and liquid ingredients
grinding cooked meat for a meat spread
beating eggs with an eggbeater

Important Points to Remember

Good cooks of all ages always wash their hands before cooking.

Tell children to wait until the dish is done before sampling it. This will help prevent illness.

Expect spills and messes.

Children have short attention spans. Give them quick, simple jobs, and give instructions one at a time.

Children get excited and forget.
Repeat directions as often as needed.

Young cooks need constant supervision.

Give children jobs to help with cleanup.


Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Van Horn, J. E. (Ed.) and L. Horning (Ed.) (1995). Cooking with children: kids in the kitchen. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.). Family child care connections 4(6). Urbana, IL: National Network for Child Care at the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.