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Back to: Kids in the Kitchen
 

Cooking Abilities of Young Children   Minimize
This all depends on age! Keep these pointers in mind when your child helps you in the kitchen:
  • Age 2: Teach kids how to wipe tables, hand items to you, place things in the trash can, tear lettuce or greens, help “read” a cookbook by turning the pages, wash fruits and vegetables, snap green beans
  • Age 3: can do everything above plus:

Add ingredients, talk about what you are cooking, scoop or mash food items, squeeze citrus, stir a batter, knead and shape dough, name and count foods, and help assemble a pizza

  • Ages 4 & 5: can do everything above plus:

Peel fruits such as bananas and oranges, juice fruit like lemons, crack and peel eggs, set the table, measure dry ingredients, assemble sandwiches/salads, measure liquid ingredients, cut soft fruits and vegetables with a dull or plastic knife, use an egg beater, wipe up after cooking, clear the table after a meal

 
How to Be a Good Food Role Model   Minimize

  • Make conversation about eating fruits and vegetables as a snack. For example, “Playing outside made me hungry. I can’t wait to eat a nice, juicy apple!”
  • Make positive conversations about food. For example, “I really like my sandwich on whole wheat bread!”
Kids in the Kitchen   Minimize

Experts agree that children enjoy more foods when they help prepare meals. You will also help your child develop new skills along the way. Here are some reasons to involve children in cooking:

  • Cooking encourages creativity
  • Cooking teaches how things change
  • Cooking builds self-confidence
  • Cooking experiences develop children’s small motor control
  • Cooking teaches about other cultures.
 
During WIC’s Cooking Demonstrations, kids are encouraged to help the instructor make the recipe. We'll show you how to modify any recipe so kids can help out in the kitchen! Come and join the experience! 

 
Helpful Hints   Minimize

When introducing new foods to children, here are some things to remember:
  • Offer new foods to the child before familiar foods
  • Have children choose new foods themselves if possible
  • Talk about new foods and do taste tests
  • Try the new food alongside the child
  • Keep trying
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Remember that all children have different food favorites and do not need to like every food presented to them.

 
Useful Resources   Minimize
Copyright (c) 2012 American Red Cross WIC Program
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Esta institución prove igualdad a todos.