Ways to get your smaller children to help with cooking in the Kitchen

Children have eager hands and minds when it comes to cooking, but aren’t ready just yet to master the art alone. Parents and other adults can nourish children’s creativity by supervising children’s cooking. Of course, adults need recipes which are simple to perform and also tasty for children to eat. Some such recipes necessitate children using simple kitchen gadgets, like knives, while others teach children how to properly measure items and use appliances like toasters, ovens, or blenders.

Fruit & Veggie Spreads

A variety of incredibly easy and tasty recipes present in the category of fruit and vegetable spreads. Any such recipe calls for children learning to slice up fruit or vegetables. Spread recipes can be found as simple as smearing peanut butter on celery. Other recipes can require blending ingredients like cheeses, creams, or spices. Whatever the case, spread recipes are easy to find or even make up. They are also healthy choices that taste great for adults and children!

Smoothies

Though a little more complicated than recipes for fruit and veggie spreads, smoothies are a healthy, sweet option which are exciting for children to create.Smoothies can be made with milk, ice, and/or water. Ingredients like sugar or spices like cinnamon can be added. These teach children to measure and pour. The fruits (or even vegetables) that go into smoothies vary by preference and taste. Children can learn about what tastes go together, what textures fruit and vegetables have, and how to slice up selected fruit and vegetables. When smoothies are ready, they are enjoyable for everyone, even children with lose or missing teeth!

Breads

There are so many different kinds of bread! Nearly every child eats and enjoys breads, especially when they are flavored well or combined with a nice jelly, spread, or frosting. Depending on the recipe, breads are easy to make and can be used to teach children much about the science of cooking, as well as measurement, mixing skills, and baking skills.

Muffins

Fun to mix, pour, and watch as they bake, muffins are an exciting (and healthy) recipe to make with children. They tend to have simple recipes with a wide variety of ingredients. Children learn what ingredients mix and how, as well as simple skills like greasing a pan (or putting paper cups into a pan). Muffins are amazing to children, as they enter the oven looking like soup and come out a cool shape. Some muffins call for putting spices or decorations on top, allowing children to be involved with their creations at multiple steps in the cooking process. Of course, muffin recipes can be selected by taste and nutrition, to make everyone involved happy.

Cakes

Most children love cake! Parents and any other adults supervising children in the kitchen can love cake too, as it is easy to make and can be a bit healthy if made in particular ways. Recipes for cakes (with healthier ingredients offered as substitutes) are easy to find on the internet or in cookbooks. Many boxed mixes are available as well, to make cake baking even easier. Children learning to bake cakes get to measure, mix, grease pans, pour, and decorate their creations.

Naomi Esterly writes freelance for 1800wheelchair.com. She is a mother of two boys and during her spare time she likes discovering new ways to decorate the house, cook healthier meals and spend more quality time with her family. Her guest post today centers on recipes your kids can make in the kitchen.

photo credit - shapeupus.com