How young is too young to get kids going in the kitchen?

[book]

My mother was in shock 7 years ago when she came for a visit, and my then 9 year old son headed to the kitchen to scramble some eggs. My kids don't learn to cook early because I am lazy, but because food is so basic to life! (And yes, kids in the kitchen is messy, it ain't for the lazy or the impatient!) Also, because the things we are exposed to early in life come easier to us than those we aren't allowed to experiment with until we are older. So if you want to do your kids a favor, help them get comfortable in the kitchen. Scrambling eggs, making quick breads, putting together a salad, these are all within the abilities of kids 9 and 10 years old. Fractions will make more sense to a kid who had to measure out 1 1/3 cup of water to make the Hamburger Helper. Children who can DO things, real life things, have more inner feelings of accomplishment and worth.

So does anyone else have kitchen activities they enjoy with the kids?

book

[AngelnPrincess]

I think its great your kids are cooking already!! What a great way to teach them indipenance and responcabliltiy!
My dad had us cooking at a young age, I think I probably started with hot dogs and mac n cheese at about age 7... keep in mind I was raised by a single father who needed all the help he could get.
Im very pro- teaching your children the basics of life... Good for you!

Kitchen activities for me and my daughter... none yet but she is only 2! hehe!

Natalee

[2big4mysize]

I let them help all the way down to toddler age. My 4yr olds foster boys were very active in the kitchen last fall as some of the older members of the board may remember. Sometimes their creations left a lot to be desired like the blackberry kraut :yikes but their heart was in the right place trying to come up with ways to help me with OWL foods from the garden.

Home made butter in a ziplock baggie is a real treat but hide the cream once the little ones learn how or you will not have anything but butter in your carton. Same for ziplock ice cream

Shaping veggies is great fun too and you can teach them about water transportation in living plants in that one.

baking and jello making are great for little folk.
Boy do little tykes like making flax pancakes cause that involves measuring (Fractions again), stiring, pouring, timing, and flipping.

"Growing" hot cereal in the microwave is great fun and and needs no supervision. If you've seen my flax meal cereal directions in the flax topic you understand. they measure and for little ones watch it until it starts to grow in the microwave (saves you lots of clean up) stir it and grow it again works for Oatmeal grits and cream of wheat too.

i don't let them fry stuff or use the outdoorgrill though until they are in their teens. And butter knives only until they are mature enough not to cut off a finger or stab each other.

[bambinaUK]

Well ...

My son stirred his first mixing bowl at age 4yrs and he progressed onto making sandwiches by age 5yrs. Once he was able to use the can opener he was lethal in the kitchen and would have a go at anything!!

He is now 16yrs and can safely be let loose on anything in the kitchen now and makes a fabulous spaghetti Marinara. He also knows how to use the hoover, washing-machine, dryer and iron .. he is in much demand as a babysitter as he loves babies!!

So when he gets to marriagable age Im going to auction him off to the highest bidder as being 'fully trained'
:yes

[AngelnPrincess]

Hey I have a beautiful daughter... ummm but he may need to wait 40 years, Her Daddy doesnt' want her to date until at least 30 lol!

[Bugaboo]

My kids are a riot in the kitchen. I have 2 boys ages 10 and 7 and they like to come up with creations. Their latest being "Thirsties". They tell me what they need and what equipment they want to use so I help them get everything out and then I supervise letting them do as much of the work as possible. (no frying or taking in/out of the oven though) I like making them comfortable in the kitchen. Until I moved out of my parents house at 17yrs old I wasn't allowed to cook at all. My mom would let me bake stuff when my dad wasn't home but absolutely no stove-top cooking. As you can imagine I can bake almost anything but if it's cooked on the stove I still struggle. This WOL has definately improved my cooking skills though. Especially with veggies...it's so much fun coming up with different things. And I like it when the kids ask me questions when I'm cooking, sometimes I'll answer right out and sometimes I'll ask them "Well, why do you think I'm doing it this way?" to see what answer they come up with. Sometimes they're right on and sometimes they make me laugh. The oldest has recently taken an interest to laundry. I hope my future daughter-in-laws appreciate this!

[SanSSanity]

Re: Well ...

My son stirred his first mixing bowl at age 4yrs and he progressed onto making sandwiches by age 5yrs. Once he was able to use the can opener he was lethal in the kitchen and would have a go at anything!!

He is now 16yrs and can safely be let loose on anything in the kitchen now and makes a fabulous spaghetti Marinara. He also knows how to use the hoover, washing-machine, dryer and iron .. he is in much demand as a babysitter as he loves babies!!

So when he gets to marriagable age Im going to auction him off to the highest bidder as being 'fully trained'
:yes

hehehe I want me one of these! Im too old for him but wow! Sounds like a keeper!

[not2late]

book, my mom had my sisters and me in the kitchen very early, around 4 years old. We stirred batters, measured ingredients, etc. We weren't allowed to go near the stove or to use knives until we were older. But whenever mom or auntie would make bread, cookies or meatloaf, we were allowed to dump in the ingredients, get our hands into the mess and do other "helpful" things. We also were allowed to make sandwiches for lunch or snacks.

We were allowed to make our own cereal in the morning: get bowl, dump cereal, pour milk (with help because it could be heavy). We were allowed to help set the table and clear up.

By the time we were about 9 or 10, we were able to use the stove to make simple things like eggs, oatmeal, etc. Of course, this was all done under supervision. Around age 12, during weekends and summer vacations, we were allowed to cook lunch and dinner. Lots of mac and cheese (not the stuff out of the box!), spaghetti, hamburgers, sloppy joes, salads, etc.

By junior high and high school, we were allowed to make the entire dinner (main course, veggie and dessert).

It helped alot because when we all left to go to school or marriage, we knew how to cook.

Mom also taught us to sew. I suck at sewing---my clothing creations are horrendous, but I can sew on buttons, mend and very simple alterations.

Editing to add...

My sisters and I used to watch all the cooking shows on PBS growing up: Julia Child, Jeff Smith the Frugal Gourmet, etc. Mom and dad would let us try out some of the recipes we saw them make on tv. It was good experience and fun.[/code]

[ImCookin']

I personally believe that kids should be prevented from using a deep fat fryer until the age of 15. LOLOL

However.........toddlers can help pour ingredients from a measuring cup into a bowl, and even stir a little bit.

Preschool kids can stir and even pour dry goods into a measuring cup. Not to mention lick spoons!

Elementary age kids can measure and pour, stir and, with supervision, use a mixer. They can also use the microwave.

By the age of 10, a child can make jello, mix up brownies or cookie or cake dough, help put shishkebob stuff on skewers, make salad, etc. Also use mixer, blender, toaster, microwave.

My mom started teaching me those things at those ages, and although I haven't been quite as good with my own kids, they can all prepare a meal, even the 10 year old.

[Kent]

My kids are pretty active in the kitchen, but lately I have been having nightmares regarding that brownie blizzard Dairy Queen commercial where the guy gets his tongue stuck in the mixer beaters. :yikes I could see my kids trying that.

[Defessa]

It is a tradition in our family to begin cooking at age 7 1/2--odd age, I know. But each of my kids got a cookbook for that half-birthday and I helped them cook a meal the weekend following that day. I kept them away from deep frying, butcher knives, and wobbly chairs (so they could stand higher), and now they love cooking.

Like bambina, my 17 year old son is a whiz in the kitchen! His specialty used to be Arroz con Pollo (a cuban rice and chicken dish). He started cooking that one when he was only 9 years old! I have tried to have them all help me in the kitchen--at different times since all 5 would not really fit around the stove--doing what ever they were interested in doing. As a result, they make their own breakfast--oatmeal in the microwave, scrambled eggs, bagels and mozzerella melted (weird--but pretty good), and they make their own lunch for school. (you should see some of the strange combinations of tortilla wraps they make--well, maybe not!)

All this has paid off for me in many ways--I have some built-in cooks for when I can't make dinner, and they are interested in making new recipes for this WOE. Last night we had quiche for dinner, and although it was good, I asked how we could change it for another meal. Well, my kids brain-stormed ideas and came up with at least 3 variations--greek, italian, and garden.


Let kids cook--it's good for them and you!

[Origam]

We were making pancakes at age 7 at home.

My little girl is 8 and she helps with the baking and cooking. She measures, breaks eggs, helps make the batters, etc. but she isn't allowed to put things in the oven or handle things on the stove quite yet.. she gets to help a little with that though. She is able to handle a knife as long as we're holding it too.

My little boy has no interest in the kitchen for the most part but he knows how to measure and all that fun stuff.

[Sharni]

My son started at about 2. I let him beat the eggs and put in cheese and tomato bits for scrambled eggs. He was decorating cookies and loved to make the dough - what could be more fun than squashing dough.

He is 4 now and can crack his own eggs and put in the spices. He can make a quesadilla, spread goodies on bread then use a cookie cutter to make sandwich shapes.

In terms of the actual use of the stove... well, I think that maybe when he's around 7!

[Origam]

The middle sibling has been cooking since she was very young. She was making pancakes on her own when she was 7yrs old. Mom always encouraged us to cook... course mom is a wonderful cook herself... and it's passed on to most of us. The oldest sibling has no interest in cooking.. she's more of a convience food person.

My little girl helps us cook, she is 8yrs old. She doesn't get to put stuff in or take things out of the oven and she is only allowed to use the stove with supervision. She peels potatos (although me cringing in the corner telling her to be careful all the time probably doesn't help). She knows how to zest a lemon or orange. She know show to measure. She knows how to read the spices and cans and jars, etc.. so we ask her to get them for us. She loves to help put together batters and help make dinner and such. She's pretty lucky because my middle sister, me and my mom all have tons of kitchen gadgets we collect that are fun to use and make things in.

My little boy enjoys the "science" behind working in the kitchen. He likes watching things come together and turn into something else. He also is a whiz at math and we always get him to halve recipes or double them. :geek You're right about the learning fractions made easy Book!

I can't imagine not having been able to cook when I was younger! I would've missed so much of the recipes mom had to pass on that were "a pinch" of this and a "dash" of that or a "glug" of this.. :yes that I've been able to actually write the amounts down and save the recipe for future generations.