Originally published: January 2025
Teaching kids how to prepare food helps them feel good about themselves, teaches them how to do things on their own and encourages a healthy relationship with food. Whether they’re in kindergarten or Grade 6, involving kids in the kitchen helps them develop life skills while creating opportunities to bond and learn together.
Support your kids in building their food skills by letting them help. Start with simple tasks that match their age and slowly give them harder tasks when they’re ready.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- 4-6 years old:
- Set the table
- Gather ingredients
- Wash fruits and vegetables
- Slice soft foods using a children’s knife
- 6-8 years old:
- Crack and beat an egg
- Mix foods together in a bowl
- Make a simple breakfast, like toast
- Use basic kitchen tools, like a toaster
- Set the table and help clean the dishes
- 8-12 years old:
- Make a vegetable or fruit platter
- Make and pack their school lunch
- Use the microwave and stove, with your help
Kids learn best when they’re having fun!
Here are some ideas to make helping in the kitchen fun and engaging:
- Create a positive environment: Build their confidence by celebrating their hard work with words of encouragement.
- Turn tasks into games: create tests like guessing the ingredients for a recipe or seeing who can mix the fastest. A little friendly race or game can make cooking even more fun!
- Encourage creativity: let kids test out different shapes, tastes, and toppings. This can help boost decision making skills and keep them excited about cooking.
Children learn by watching you.
Here are some ways to help you can teach by example:
- Show enthusiasm: when cooking together, share what you enjoy about the ingredients and the process.
- Teach food safety: show your child how you properly wash your hands, clean surfaces, and handle food and utensils.
- Talk about different types of foods: while preparing food, talk about different food groups like vegetables and fruits, whole grain foods, and protein foods. Talk about how eating a variety of different foods helps them grow and gives them energy for the activities they love.
Remember to be patient
Let your child experiment and learn without worrying about getting it perfect.
- Be realistic: spills, messes, and less-than-perfect results are all part of the learning!
- Give gentle help: use mistakes as a chance to teach them something new and encourage them to try again.
- Focus on progress: celebrate their achievements, no matter how small.
Make cooking a family routine
- Plan meals together: involve kids in deciding what to cook and in making a list for grocery shopping. This can be a fun way to help them build planning and decision-making skills. When each family member comes up with a meal idea for the week, a plan comes together quickly.
- Create family cooking experiences: plan a “family pizza night” where everyone creates their own pizza or try a “smoothie taste test” where everyone creates a smoothie recipe and then votes for their favorite. Activities like these can make meal preparation more exciting and can help kids feel proud of what they make.
- Assign weekly roles: give each family member a new role each week, like washing dishes, prepping ingredients, or helping with the cooking. Changing roles each day or week, can teach kids about responsibility and teamwork.
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