Cooking Activities For 3-6 Year Olds

Do you include your children in the kitchen? We’ll tell you how to do this, as well as what activities are best for strengthening the bond between parents and children.

Cooking with children can be a little stressful for parents, but it is undoubtedly very beneficial for little ones. In fact, while it can be stressful, it’s also beneficial for parents as it strengthens the emotional bond between parents and children. So, below, you will discover some cooking activities for children aged 3 to 6 years.

When children learn to cook with their parents, they acquire many new skills. This is also a good way to spend time with your family. To cook with children, you need simple recipes, tasty ingredients and utensils that are easy for the little ones to use.

When you cook with your child,  try to get him to do most things ! Thus, he will feel much more satisfied with the work done.

If you do everything for yourself, he’ll think he can’t do it himself, he’ll be bored, and he won’t be willing to continue cooking with you. Give him the upper hand, make him feel important in the kitchen and, above all, make him feel capable of cooking even if you are actually helping him.

Why are children’s cooking activities beneficial?

Cooking with children is much more than preparing food. It’s spending time together, organizing, planning, building and creating. It’s a golden moment and the little ones will have a lot of fun with their parents. But what activities can your child do in the kitchen?

• Help your child learn  numerical skills early when measuring or counting.
• Help your child develop literacy skills by reading recipes.
• Create a special time for yourselves and to  improve the relationship between parent and child.
• Be practical, creative, messy and a lot of fun.

Sitting down with the family and sharing the food you’ve prepared together with your child is a great way to get your child to relate to you emotionally. In addition, it is also great for him to develop social skills such as sharing, speaking and listening.

What do you need to cook with the kids

It’s good to give your child the choice of what to cook, but it’s also important to make sure the recipe is simple enough, otherwise you’ll end up doing everything while the child watches.

Maybe you know a simple dish you could make with your child. Maybe it’s something he likes to eat, like a savory dish or favorite dessert. Otherwise, search for children’s recipes or look for children’s cookbooks.

Once you’ve decided what to cook, make sure you have all the necessary ingredients and equipment, plus a free space to work. You also need plenty of time. Your child will likely mix and measure everything very slowly, and you may need to clean up spills while making the recipe.

Your child will probably want to try all the ingredients. And that’s fine! However, kitchens can be dangerous places for children. You should always supervise your child around hot surfaces, boiling liquids, electrical appliances and sharp objects.

How to cook with children?

Below, we’ll give you some tips that will help you cook with children:

• Talk about the dish before starting. Show your child the ingredients and recipe, if you’re following one.
• Let your child do everything possible. The child can wash vegetables and fruits, mix, stir and help you measure and count. With careful supervision, your child can even try to cut what’s easiest, such as soft fruit with a sawless knife. You may first need to show him what to do and then let him try.
• Talk about what you are doing and introduce words and vocabulary related to cooking, such as “grate” and “mashed”. You can also encourage your child to say words to describe flavors and textures, such as “salty”, “crumbly” or “crunchy”.

• Talk about what foods are healthy and why.
• Let the child share the dish with friends or family. Praise your child’s cooking skills and hard work!

Adapt cooking activities for children of different ages

A simple green salad is a good first course for your youngest child. Help the little one wash the leaves, then let him break them with his hands. Also, help him measure and add the ingredients for the dressing and give a set of spoons to mix the salad in the bowl.

Written recipes are a great way to get your older child to develop vocabulary and arithmetic skills . Read the recipe with your child before starting. In addition, you can also talk about concepts like fractions, weights and temperatures.

Cooking can also be a window to other countries and cultures. You can talk to your child about the countries of origin of the dishes and the people who live there.

Family cooking is a great idea to connect with your child  on a much deeper level and for him to learn great things from you. Plus, you’ll also be creating wonderful memories in your child’s mind!