Your kids cooked THAT?! Helping Kids Learn to Cook

My kids often impress friends and family with their cooking abilities. My two year old (nearly) independently makes frozen waffles and scrambled eggs in the morning. Meanwhile, my 5 year old is learning to follow a recipe and has made meatloaf, pancakes, and a few slow cooker meals. Both children have helped with a variety of cooking and baking activities.

Why so young?

Food prep is an integral part of a Montessori classroom. Most classrooms have some sort of food prep available daily for children. Sometimes it’s something simple, such as an apple slicing station. Sometimes it’s a large group effort, such as a large recipe where everyone contributes something.

One of the benefits of giving children opportunities to prepare their own food is that they become more willing to eat the foods they have made. In fact, when parents tell us their child is a picky eater, this is one of our first suggestions! Another benefit is a child’s self esteem. A few months ago, my oldest daughter asked for meatloaf for dinner. I had not been planning on making that, though we had all the ingredients. So I suggested she make it herself. The look on her face when she showed the family her meatloaf was priceless. She happily told her dad that she made dinner and asked me send pictures of her with her meatloaf to her grandparents.

Also, children who practice cooking skills at a young age gain confidence in the kitchen. I do not expect my children to leave our home as master chefs, but I hope they can make simple, delicious meals for themselves, friends, and families. I’ve met a number of people who found themselves on their own and realized they had no idea how to cook. Eating out and pre-made meals became expensive. If that is how my children eat as adults, I would rather know it is their choice rather than them struggling to figure it out on their own.

Finally, it often becomes an enjoyable activity for my kids and I to work on together.

How did we do it?

Like most things in a Montessori classroom, we start simple and build. As infants and young toddlers, my children were often in the kitchen with me when I was cooking. They were observing what I was doing and even got to sneak some tastes. As their motor skills grew, they started standing on their stepstool next to me. I would offer them spoons and whisks and they would happily stir.

Then we introduced a crinkle chopper, a nylon knife, and a small cutting board. Bananas and strawberries are very easy first chopping foods. Making guacamole is an easy- and delicious- snack for toddlers to make. As their abilities grew, we started adding tougher foods to chop. Cucumbers, then apples, then carrots. Pretty soon, they can make a whole tossed salad!

When baking, I started with measuring ingredients and letting my children pour them into the mixing bowl. Turning our stand mixer on is also a favorite with my kids. When they are ready, they start measuring the ingredients themselves, carefully scooping and leveling with a butter knife. Now that my older daughter is learning to read and knows simple fractions, she is able to figure out exactly how much of everything she needs.

When it comes to cooking in a pan, I like to start with scrambling eggs. My toddler will happily crack an egg into a bowl, pour a little milk, add salt and pepper, and mix it all up. She pours the mixture into the pan and scrambles everything. She only needs help with getting the eggs out of the pan. Another easy food prep is browning ground beef, which uses similar skills to making scrambled eggs. My kids have helped make beef chili and taco meat.

Safety and the Adult’s Role

Of course, safety is a concern. Before children begin using a stove, they need to understand the pan is hot. We only use cast iron skillets at home, so a potholder or handle cover is necessary to handle a hot pan. Anything coming from the oven is also hot. I often show how hot the pans are by inviting my children to hold their hands, briefly, near the hot pan so they can feel the heat.

I give them the tools they need to be safe and handle things beyond their capabilities, such as putting things in and out of the oven. At this point, my kids just aren’t large enough to safely reach into an oven. Small burns are inevitable, even I have been known to burn myself now and then. A little first aid (cold water, maybe some ointment, and hugs) and the children will learn to be a little more careful.

Chopping foods can also be a safety concern. My favorite first tools are top handled crinkle choppers and nylon knives. We practice holding the food in a safe place, away from the blades. We also look at the parts of the knife or chopper, noticing which part looks sharp and which place is safe for holding.

As my children become more independent with food prep, I am often close by keeping an eye on things. I do my best not intervene unless necessary or asked. I find it is helpful if I am working on my own cooking task alongside my children. While I am prepping some chicken, perhaps one of them is cutting vegetables for a salad.

As they practice more, the more independent they can be with things. For most snacks, I know my kids can get what they want easily and safely. The foods and tools they need are within reach. Spreading peanut butter on crackers or bread is a quick and easy favorite in our house.

What do your children like to cook? How comfortable are you in letting them cook? Let me know in the comments!