Cooking - How Your Kids Can Help

Cooking is a wonderful way for you and your child to spend some quality time together. As everybody has to eat sometime, why not make it a fun part of your day together?

Every Recipe you will find at Our Little Treasure has been specifically designed for the little helpers in your life. You can make it as simple or as complex as you like - the amount of involvement will vary depending on the time you have available (obviously, if you need to have lunch ready in a flash before you go out it may not be the time to let Little Treasure crack the eggs into the bowl!).

It is best to do what you feel comfortable with. The emphasis is on fun, so don't completely stress yourself out trying to achieve every suggestion below. Just start with what feels comfortable and go from there. The more often you cook, the more confident you will become having your child involved.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

1. Sit down with your child and the Activity Diary and let them help you to select which menu option they would like. If you can't make up your mind, use our Recipe Finder to come up with a great alternative.


2. Before you do anything else - wash your hands, then wash your child's hands. Children at a very young age (even babies) are capable of starting safe food handling practices. If your child can't reach the sink, use a warm washcloth or baby wipe. Put on an apron if desired to protect both of your clothes.


3. Organise all of the ingredients and equipment you will need for your recipe before you start - that way you won't have to leave your child to get something from the cupboard or refrigerator.

You are ready to begin! Here are some suggestions for you to try with your child.

• Looking for ingredients to use for the recipe - work through the recipe with your child and talk to them about where they would find each ingredient needed. If you need fruit or vegetables, you could use the name and colour of the item to help your child look. In your search use words such as same, different, big, small, smooth, rough, many, few to boost your child's Mathematics skills and vocabulary.



• Cracking eggs - it is a good idea to have a separate bowl for this one. That way, if any shell gets into the mix, you are able to get it out easily.



• Stirring batters or cake mixes - be prepared for a little mess the first few times. After some practice, your child will be able to keep everything in the bowl as they stir.



• Scraping out the bowl with a spatula, pouring over a sauce using a jug, or spooning mixture into a baking dish -
it may require a little hand-eye coordination, but you will find your child picks it up in no time with some practice.


• Greasing a cake tin - using a piece of greaseproof paper, take a small amount of butter or margarine and show your child how to wipe it around the cake tin to ensure the cake doesn't stick. Make sure that you cover all parts of the tin, especially the bottom. This is a great way to boost children's Fine Motor skills.



• Buttering toast or bread - if you are worried about your child handling an adult knife, your child can use a small plastic knife, easily purchase from your local supermarket. This is also a great way to boost children's Fine Motor skills.



• Measuring ingredients - your child can help measure ingredients in a measuring cup, or use a teaspoon or tablespoon to measure out the right quantity. Make sure you use the correct words to explain what you are doing (eg: We need half a cup; Can you put two tablespoons into the bowl?) as this is good for beginning Mathematics with your child. As an addition to this, count out the number of steps in the recipe, or count how many times the spoon goes around as you stir. Your child may need some assistance measuring liquids for the first few times.



• Kneading dough - kneading is not only a great way to boost Fine Motor skills, but it is very relaxing. Your child can help with making things like bread, damper or pizza dough.



• Crumbling together butter and flour - some recipes require you to rub the butter into the flour to form a sand-like consistency. Your child can use their fingers and Fine Motor muscles to make sure all the butter and flour becomes well combined.



• Combining ingredients with your hands - recipes such as hamburgers or biscuits require the mixture to be rolled into balls to form patties ready for cooking. Show your child how to roll the mixture in their hands to form balls. Another great Fine Motor activity.



• Squeezing citrus fruits for juice - this is another good way to strengthen Fine Motor muscles. Make sure your child squeezes them away from their eyes.



• Rinsing and spinning lettuce in a salad spinner - great fun and good for Fine and Gross Motor development. Children use their whole upper body to make the salad go around quickly.



• Decorating cakes or biscuits - icing cakes or biscuits and placing on decorations is good for Fine Motor control. Again, if you are worried about your child using an adult knife, let them use a plastic knife or spatula.



• Licking the beaters or spoon - this one really goes without saying. Often popular with the adults in your life too. As an added bonus this strengthens the muscles in your child's tongue and mouth which are essential for speech development. Challenge your child to lick the beater clean!



• Washing up - it is a good idea to teach your child how to clean up after cooking, both for hygiene purposes and to preserve your sanity in years to come once they begin cooking on their own. Young children can use a damp cloth to wipe the bench, their high chair tray or the cupboards. Older children can dry up plastic ware, utensils and cutlery with a tea towel.



• Eating your creations! There is something very satisfying about sitting down with your child and sharing the food you have made together. This is also a great way to encourage a fussy eater to try something new. As an alternative, you and your child could cook something as a 'thank you' for a friend or relative. It is beneficial to teach children about doing nice things for others, so don't forget to take your child with you to give your gift.

Home cooking is a valuable and economical life skill for children to learn. Start when children are young and you will be surprised at how quickly they will gain confidence in the kitchen - you will be receiving breakfast in bed in no time!

Please Remember - children should always be supervised properly by an adult at all times when in the kitchen.  For more information on how to keep your child safe in the kitchen, please see the Kidsafe Website - www.kidsafe.com.au.

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