How to Include Your Toddler in Cooking Activities
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Including your toddler in cooking has many benefits to their development. But it's also messy. It's inconvenient. And it can quickly turn into a stressful activity when you can't wait to get your child out of the kitchen.
This post will help you avoid the most common mistakes and help you enjoy the time together.
Successful cooking with kids comes down to two things - the preparation of the environment (your kitchen) and self-preparation.
Note: always supervise your child during cooking and baking activities. Beware of choking hazards when handing food to your child.
1. Preparation of the environment
Prepare the child's workspace
You have several options here. You can get a learning tower so your child can reach the kitchen counter. We got this one when Emma was 14 months old. It was love at first sight. Emma enjoys standing on the tower, helping me cook or do dishes, or watch me cooking. If you get a learning tower, help your child figure out how to get up and down safely. This might need a little bit of time and practice. Give your child the time she needs before moving on.
If you have an older child, she can use a stool to reach the kitchen counter.
Another option is having your child work at her child-sized table. This is a great compromise if you decide not to invest in a learning tower.
If your child works in the kitchen, clear the counter so your child has space to work. Put away everything you don't want your child to touch (knives, dishes…).
Pre-measure ingredients
The pre-measuring of ingredients helps a young child to be successful and independent in cooking. Have everything you need at hand, so you don't need to leave the kitchen. I like to put all pre-measured ingredients on the tray to keep everything contained. Once your child is more experienced, he will read a recipe and measure all ingredients by himself.
Pre-measuring requires more preparation ahead of time but makes the whole process much smoother.
Pre-measured ingredients for Emma’s favorite snack - healthy chocolate mousse
Start simple
If your child has no experience, start with a simple task such as washing fruits and vegetables. Why is this more beneficial to him than trying to do a whole baking recipe?
1) Isolation of difficulty - Montessori approach isolates one difficulty at a time. In other words, we focus on developing one skill at a time. Once your child masters washing fruit and vegetables, he will learn how to pour, spread, cut... Once your child masters all the skills, he'll be able to follow the whole baking activity.
2) Empowerment - Your child will feel more empowered and accomplished with minimal help from you. Our goal is to offer an activity that challenges the child a little but not so much that he wants to give up. Even a very young child can wash fruits and vegetables all by himself. If you jump ahead and start with an advanced recipe, you'll most likely end up doing everything for him.
2. Self-preparation
Choose the right time
Children aren’t focused on the final product; they enjoy the actual process of cooking. We need to give them as much time as they need to experience it. When you are in a rush and trying to get dinner on the table as fast as possible, it's not the best time to cook with your toddler.
You don't need to have your child helping you all the time. If your kitchen is not ready or the idea of including your little one is stressing you out, wait for the next time. Cooking with kids is a wonderful opportunity to make memories when done at the right time.
Adjust expectations
Expect mess - have towels available and show the child how to clean up spills. Cleaning is part of the activity, and we want to model it since the beginning.
When your child is washing fruits and vegetables, it will most likely turn into a water play. When it starts getting out of hand, you can thank your child for her help and tell her that she can help you again some other time. Don't shame the child who plays with water (it's part of their exploration). Instead, redirect her to a different activity.
Expect exploration with food - any ingredient you hand to your child will likely end up in her mouth. Be aware of choking hazards and safe food handling.
Do you have any other concerns regarding including your kids in the kitchen? Let me know.
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