Fun Times In The Kitchen
Sometimes we adults forget that the most mundane chores such as cooking dinner, can, in fact, be quite exciting to a young child. Cooking together is a fantastic way to spend quality time with children while teaching them a valuable life skill and even a little math and science to boot. I recently bought my niece Zoe this adorable little chef’s outfit by Melissa & Doug for her fourth birthday, and we had our own pretend cooking show right in the kitchen. I took the time to help her measure and count, and I even explained technical things, like why baking powder goes into cookie dough. She might not remember everything we talked about, but I know that she had the time of her life, and the best part for her was getting to eat what she had made and then serving it to others with a big proud grin.
I have found that children love the hands-on part of cooking. They love putting their little fingers in dough, rolling it into little balls and then patting it out. I have also found that if they have a part in creating it, they will be more likely to eat it, which is a great trick to getting them to eat healthier foods. They might not eat raisins or celery alone, but show them how to create “Ants on a Log” and you might be surprised to see them gobble it down.
Cut up a bunch of vegetables and tell your child to arrange them on a big platter any way they want. This helps them use their imagination and even develop an eye for art by creating a way for them to learn how to combine colors and arrange shapes.
Don’t feel you have to follow a recipe exactly. Who says that the only thing that goes on a peanut butter sandwich is jelly? Let them decide what they think would taste good. If you’re the type that stresses over a dirty kitchen, take a deep breath and just let them do their own thing for a bit. You’ll be glad you did.
