• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Doing Cooking Activities With Children

January 24, 2010 by ModernMom Staff Leave a Comment

Planning cooking activities with children is not always as simple as pulling out the cookbook and jumping into the task. For the child, it’s not a lot of fun to watch an adult do all the work. The key to an enjoyable and successful time in the kitchen with youngsters is a little bit of advance preparation. Allowing children to participate in each phase from adding ingredients to mixing to baking inspires confidence and a sense of involvement. Cooking activities can also offer learning opportunities in the areas of math, science, nutrition, creativity and following directions.

Step 1

Select a kid-friendly recipe that is not too complicated. Cookie recipes are particularly well suited for this kind of activity, but any recipe that offers plenty of hands-on participation will do.

Step 2

Allow more than enough time to complete the recipe. Completing a task will almost always take a little longer if a child is involved. Rushing things can result in bad results or, worse yet, kitchen accidents. Enjoyment of the activity can be negatively impacted by a rushed schedule as well.

Step 3

Measure ingredients ahead of time if very young children will be participating. School-age children can benefit from measuring ingredients themselves, because this kind of activity will enhance math skills.

Step 4

Read the recipe out loud to guide the children through each phase of preparation. This will reinforce listening skills and help children learn to follow directions. For example, if a cookie recipe begins with the directions “Cream together sugar and butter,” explain what the term “cream” means in the context of the recipe. Let the children do most of the mixing and stirring as well as adding ingredients.

Step 5

Instruct the children regarding any baking preparations that need to happen. Many recipes require hands-on work before the food can be baked. For example, sugar-cookie batter will need to be rolled out and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Many casseroles require a layering of ingredients. These kinds of recipes offer excellent opportunities for hands-on participation.

Step 6

Keep safety in mind at all times. Adults should handle cooking tasks that involve exposure to heat, such as pulling cookies from the oven or heating ingredients on a stove.

Step 7

Involve children in the preparation of finished foods. For example, children enjoy arranging cooled cookies on a decorative platter or setting the table around a finished casserole or main dish.

Warnings

  • Limit the number of children who are participating in a cooking activity. A group of four or five children is manageable, but larger groups can be chaotic if not downright dangerous unless the kitchen is quite large and several other adults are involved.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Food

About ModernMom Staff

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Search

ModernMom Boutique

ModernMom TV

Featured

Nursing Mothers Granted Tax Break

Great news! Nursing moms are getting a new tax break from … [Read More...] about Nursing Mothers Granted Tax Break

Must Have

winter

Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

"It's beginning to look  a lot like Christmas..." The … [Read More...] about Pre-Holiday Must-Haves

Did you know?

Does Pregnancy Cause Flu-Like Symptoms?

Does Pregnancy Cause Flu-Like Symptoms?

Cover a Pork Roast

Should You Cover a Pork Roast & Add Liquid When Baking?

Signs You're Having a Miscarriage

Signs You’re Having a Miscarriage

Quick Ways to Cook a Round Steak

Quick Ways to Cook a Round Steak

what causes baby hiccups

What Causes Baby Hiccups?

abdominal discomfort during first trimester of pregnancy

Abdominal Discomfort During First Trimester of Pregnancy

toddler hair growth

Toddler Hair Growth

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2021 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.