How To Teach Your Kids to Cook

Years ago, it was a family tradition to pass down the secrets to treasured recipes and spend hours in the kitchen teaching children to cook. Somewhere between the addiction to video games and the overactive schedules of parents and children, cooking lessons have been neglected. While there are many reasons for teaching kids to cook -- less expensive than eating out, preserves family heritage, etc, the most important reason is that by teaching your child to cook, you're giving him a better chance to be a healthy grown-up. Enabling your child with the ability to appreciate freshness and to transform ingredients into tasty foods opens their eyes to making wiser choices about what to eat. rnCooking is perfect for children. They enjoy assembling, measuring and chopping tasks. It offers them an opportunity to be proud of their accomplishments and to share them with others. Cooking has activities for all ages. Here are some age appropriate activities that can you get your started: Activities for children 3-6 years old: Washing fruits and veggiesrnCleaning the tables and countersrnRolling things up on a baking sheetrnMaking shapes with cookie cuttersrn Activities for children 6-10 years old: Reading recipesrnWriting the shopping list when told the ingredientsrnUsing measuring cups for dry and liquid ingredientsrnStirring ingredients in a bowlrnUsing a dull knife to spreadrnPrepping fruits and veggies without a knife (i.e. snapping beans, husking corn, etc.) Activities for 10-13 year olds: Following steps and preparing simple recipes with little adult interventionrnUsing a microwave, oven and stove.rnUsing a hand graterrnUsing a knife with supervisionrnOperating a hand electric mixerrn Activities for teens: Planning a balanced meal, party menu or special eventrnReading a recipe and creating a shopping listrnOperating a food processor and blenderrnMaking multiple ingredient recipes without supervisionrnWhen you begin to teach your child to cook it is important to teach appropriate kitchen safety and cleanliness practices. Introduce new safety and cleanliness concepts as your child progresses in his or her skill level. You can never review the basics of safety and cleanliness enough. And most of all have fun! rnAbout the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby ( www.FreshBaby.com ). They are the creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit and Good Clean Fun Placemats, available at many fine specialty stores and national chains including Target and Whole Foods Markets.