While you may think your children are only interested in watching YouTube or playing video games, there is so much more that they could be doing with their time. 

Nothing spells fun for children more than getting their hands messy while cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Messy play is a great way to get your kids to learn important skills and concepts while getting the whole family involved in the kitchen.

You must be ready for a serious clean-up effort afterward, but it’ll be well worth it once your kids start cooking on their own. Here are some tips to get your kids interested in cooking.

• First, Go Shopping

A less messy but equally important first step is to prepare your children’s mindsets for the task of cooking by taking them grocery shopping with you. That way, you can teach them other lessons too, like the value of money. You may even want to let them pick their own cookware and utensils as this is all part and parcel of getting them in the mood to cook.

• Assign the Right Tasks

You must remember that getting kids involved in the kitchen can be as dangerous as it is rewarding. Make sure to take adequate care in the kitchen by assigning age-appropriate tasks to each child. Allow children to perform tasks that will excite them as well.

If your child wants to whisk the batter, let her do so. Get them involved in measuring quantities and using utensils like teaspoons and tablespoons. Engaging children in this way allows them to learn important skills without it feeling like a chore.

• Recipes and Creativity

Look through recipe books with your children and allow them to pick out recipes they would enjoy making. 

For younger children, allow room for creativity when cooking, and think of ways to make the recipes fun. For example, you could make a smiling face flapjack instead of a normal one. This kind of food art is fun, and it enhances the joy of cooking while making the eating process all the more enjoyable too.

• Taste Your Way to Glory

One of the best ways to get children to learn is by allowing them to taste different flavors of food. This will teach them how to use different adjectives such as, “sweet,” “sour,” and “bitter.” You can also talk to your children about the different textures of food to help them appreciate it more.

• Bring Your Toddlers into the Kitchen too

While toy cookware looks the same as real cookware, it obviously doesn’t function the same. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun with it. Give your toddler toy cookware and wooden spoons. That way, they’ll have far better coordination when the time comes to use real utensils. This is a great way to get them interested in food and to have an appreciation for cookware from a young age.  

• It’s Okay if Your Child Loses Focus

One of the things you’ll notice the first few times you get your kids involved in the kitchen is just how excited and focused they are. As with most things, however, kids will eventually get distracted and lose interest in kitchen activities.

When this happens, don’t beg your children to stay and complete the task. If they feel as if cooking is a chore, they will begin to dread the kitchen. Instead, be patient and remember even ten minutes spent in the kitchen is good enough for them to learn something new. 

With the six tips above, you can get your kids engaged with cooking from an early age.

What are your favorite tips for cooking with kids?

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