Preschoolers can do some simple cooking with a little help from a grown-up. They can help prepare instant pudding, make sandwiches, cookies, soup, and salads. My daughters, and now granddaughter, take great delight in making what we call “Little Pizzas” by taking an English muffin, breaking in half, spreading on pizza sauce, topping with shredded mozzarella cheese, and adding any favorite toppings! We enjoy sliced black olives!
Here are a few ways to make cooking an enjoyable learning experience for young children.
- Let the child see, smell, feel, and maybe even taste the ingredients before they are combined.
- Help the child notice the color, texture, size, and shape of the ingredients.
- Show the child ways of measuring ingredients, and let him or her help do the measuring.
- Let the child stir, beat, mix, cut carefully on a cutting board, wash vegetables and fruits for salad, spread mixtures on bread, and shape cookies.
- Help the child clean up after cooking.
- Talk about the prevention of cooking accidents.
- Tell the child about the nutritional value of foods cooked.
If your child wants to invite a guest for lunch, encourage him or her to help prepare the meal. The following menu is a good one for young children to fix and eat:
- Melted cheese sandwich
- Carrot sticks or celery sticks
- Pineapple or peach slices on lettuce leaves
- Instant pudding
- Milk
Share with us some of your favorite cooking-with-young-children ideas!
Here is an article and audio from Kids Health about cooking with preschoolers.