kids in the kitchen

Just read a fabulous article about kids and cooking by Design Mom guest Mom: Lindsey Rose Johnson...to read the whole post, click here. There are so many gr8 ideas & links.

Here's most of it:

Kids in the Kitchen — by Guest Mom Lindsey Rose Johnson
Because I am a mom who loves to cook, it is important to me that I teach my children how to cook.

For me, it has been a little hard to relinquish my kitchen to my three-year-old who more often than not flips flour all over the floor...Yet, as I've started to do this with my little girl, I'm realizing just how much kids can benefit from being taught how to cook and spending time in the kitchen with mom and dad.Sous Chef Baking Set from Sur la Table

Depending on the age and maturity of the child, they can learn myriad things from cooking:
1. Math skills — fractions, time, measuring, counting
2. Seeing a process from inception to finished product — planning and getting ready to the execution of a recipe, followed by cleaning up
3. Reading, following directions
4. Food and general safety — being careful to stay away from fire and hot pans, cutting with knives (older kids) or staying away from them (younger), proper hand washing techniques, what to do in case of a fire
5. How to use their senses — especially taste, smell, touch
6. Working together and helping
7. Pride in their own work
8. Simple biology and food science — how things grow, chemical reactions (vinegar and baking soda, for example), where milk and other foods come from (sugar, flour, fruits and veggies)
9. Eating healthy and taking care of their bodies
10. Making decisions (i.e. what to do next, what to have for dinner, etc.)
11. Motor skills — especially fine motor
12. Good recycling habits for food containers (check your local recycling rules)

Baking is a wonderful way to introduce your child to the kitchen. There are quite a few simple things kids can help with. As they become older or more advanced, the things they can do will change.

Some things kids can do:
1. Measuring and placing liquid or dry ingredients into the bowl
2. Whisking or stirring ingredients
3. Washing dishes afterwards
4. Getting ingredients and tools out of the cupboard, pantry, fridge, or drawers.
5. Rolling out dough
6. Making balls of dough — bread, cookies, etc.
7. Taste testing — Does it need more salt? Is it too spicy?
8. Using cookie cutters9. Placing cookies or biscuits on the pan
9. Greasing pans with brushes (we call it "painting the pans")
10. Setting the timer
11. Peeling vegetables (older kids)
12. Tearing lettuce for salads
13. Washing fruits and vegetables
14. Decorating cookies or cakes
15. Wiping off the counters and table
16. Throwing things in the garbage
17. Planting a garden and helping to take care of it afterwards — watering plants, weeding, etc.
18. Picking fruits, vegetables, and herbs (check PickYourOwn.org for local farms that allow patrons to pick their own produce)
19. Help with grocery shopping — let them choose some healthy things that they like
20. Meal planning

Good things to make with kids:
1. Pizza — kids can place all the toppings on the pizza
2. Bread, rolls, and biscuits — let them help knead and roll dough into balls
3. Cookies and cupcakes (not so healthy, but very fun)
4. Salads (grown ups do the cutting/slicing, kids do the tossing)
5. Popcorn
6. Lemonade — my daughter loves to squeeze the lemons
7. Sandwiches — let them use a butter knife to spread peanut butter on the bread, or let them layer deli meat and cheese

Other fun things to do in the kitchen:
Jell-o Cell ModelHomemade play dough (Design Mom posted about it here.)
Make Your Own Volcanoes
Make Your Own Butter (heavy cream in a baby food jar and shake)
Inedible Art Supplies
Kitchen Magnets

Other Links:
Age Appropriate Kitchen Tasks from RealSimple.com
Williams-Sonoma Kids
Kids in the Kitchen from ChefTools.com
Ideas for Vegetarian and Vegan Kids from In a Vegetarian Kitchen
16 Kitchen Safety Tips for Children from JustMommies.com
"Why Teach Kids Cooking Activities?"from Kids Cooking Activities (great links on the sidebar)
What's your favorite thing to do in the kitchen with your kids?