Are you looking for new and exciting ways to spend time with your children while also engaging them in learning new life skills? Consider having your kids join you in the kitchen. Taking time to cook with your kids also teaches important and valuable lessons that your children are sure to carry on well into adulthood.
Something as simple as this “Dirt Cake” is fun for little ones.
Learn more about cooking together as a family.
Cooking together as a family can relieve some of the pressure off parents who prepare each meal day in and day out. It is also a surefire way to teach your children proper methods of preparing and cooking food on their own once they become independent.
Teach your kids how to use proper tools for each task.
Familiarize yourself and your children with all of the basic tools found in traditional kitchens today.
Keep in mind to pair the tool to your child’s appropriate age group. Learning about each individual tool and why it’s valuable can be fun. Demonstrate the proper use of each tool every time you prepare and cook the food itself.
Ask your children questions about various tools you have in the kitchen. A bit of Show and Tell with simple hand tools is a great place to start. This helps them dive deeper into the learning process while getting your kids more excited to be near the tools and appliances altogether. You’ll be surprised how fast the time goes when you make it fun!
If you have more than one child helping you cook, assign them different tasks. Allow them to utilize an array of tools each time they are in the kitchen. The more familiar kids get with tools and methods of cooking the more likely they will stick with it for years to come.
Discover new recipes right at home.
Research recipes that appeal to you and your family or select a cuisine that your children love individually each week to learn more about with recipes. There are countless written and video-based recipes to quickly improve skills while allowing you and your family to try something new, keeping the time in the kitchen together exciting and fun (regardless of the age of your children).
Rather than sticking to specific staple meals of the household, introducing new cuisines and types of food can also keep your children from becoming too picky–increasing their likelihood of maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, even as adults.
Have your children research recipes each week that they would likely to make (whether it is a lunch, dinner, or even a dessert). Save one recipe each week and alternate to keep all of your children involved in the process. Allow your children to get as creative as possible to truly become engaged in cooking and what it has to offer.
Find a local cooking or catering class.
Whether you have a child who is extremely interested in the culinary arts or if you are seeking new ways to explore cooking as a family, consider attending local cooking or catering classes together. Cozymeal has a lot of kids cooking classes in different markets. It’s easy to check and see if they have one in your area. At times, cooking in the same kitchen day in and day out can become monotonous and extremely exhausting. Visiting a local cooking or catering class is a way to “spice things up” a bit to keep both you and your children interested in the art of cooking and how to improve skills in a wide range of areas.
Local cooking classes and catering events also give your children the opportunity to ask questions about tools, methods of preparation, and various tips they are interested in knowing when they are cooking on their own. The more involved they become with the process of cooking, the more likely they are to ask questions and develop their own unique ways of executing the methods they have in mind. When children do not understand cooking, preparation, or even the types of foods they are eating, they are much less likely to be interested in keeping a healthier lifestyle in terms of their diet as they age.
In order to keep cooking fun and enjoyable for both you and your children, getting a bit creative is a must. Even if you simply enjoy cooking at home most nights, introducing your kids to new and interesting methods of preparing foods can ultimately lead to a much more productive adult in terms of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and avoiding eating out all of the time. The more active and engaged you are with your children at any age when preparing food, the easier it is for them to ultimately become independent providers of their own in the future.
