With the kids home from school for the foreseeable future, keeping them busy while you adjust to working and schooling at home is a necessity — multi-tasking a must. Your best bet? Going “stir crazy” in the kitchen teaching your kids to cook while simultaneously getting dinner on the table.
Cooking is a great family activity that also teaches kids math and science (not to mention a life skill they will need when they grow up).
The first things your kids will need are proper tools. They can use what you have, but small hands do better with smaller cooking implements. Amazon is a great resource offering everything from kid-safe cooking knives to a Master Chef Junior Cooking Essentials Kit. Walmart has adorable aprons and chef hats to get everyone in the mood for fun.
Not every parent is a master chef. If microwaving and take out is your go-to, why not learn to cook together? ChopChop Cooking Club is a great app that offers age-appropriate recipes that will help your kids master their cooking skills. They progress in difficulty as your child gets more experienced in the kitchen. Kids can earn badges and once they have earned enough, they are entered into drawings for great prizes.
Fit for a Feat Chef School offers free videos that focus on preparing kid-tested recipes and cooking techniques. Kids also learn food and kitchen safety, how to turn food into art, and much more.
Once you’re ready, it’s time to find the perfect recipes and what better place to look than the home of Chopped Junior, the Food Network. Among the many recipes kids can make with minimal help from a sous chef, you’ll find Sloppy Joe Sliders, Crunchy Breakfast Tacos, Pizza Skewers and an Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie. You’ll also find helpful tips on getting kids involved in one of their favorite activities – baking.
Now that you have the resources, how do you go about getting kids in the kitchen without going crazy, yourself? Use these tips brought to you by Julie Negrin, a nutritionist and kids’ cooking teacher.
Yep, no matter how you slice it, getting kids into the kitchen is good for you and your family!
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