5 Ways To Let Your Child Help In The Kitchen

They love “helping” in the kitchen. They’ll ask to play with the cleaners under the sink, they’ll find their Tupperware, and they’ll have a look around the fridge. But all too often, they forget to stop for a moment and be reminded about how “helpful” they are. We think it’s time to teach kids the value of being helpful in the kitchen. These hacks are not only great food hacks for kids, but they’ll guide your little helper some kitchen safety basics.

1. Let them make sliceable popsicles in a loaf pan

The best part about this is you don’t have to buy a specialized mold. Just grab your loaf pan and a knife! Cut a sliceable shape out of the loaf pan, and let them press their favorite fruits into the shape. Then they can enjoy homemade popsicles that they’ve created themselves.

2. Let them prepare ingredients for you

Surround your little chef with the ingredients that they’ll need for this task, and let them work independently on mise en place (that’s French for “setting in place” or “putting in place”). If your little one isn’t old enough to work on mise en place by themselves, make sure they show you what it is before letting them try it out.

3. Let them read out the recipe

This allows them to hear the words of the recipe, but it’s even better because it gets them involved. They’ll feel like they’re a part of the whole process, and they can look back on shining moments like this for years to come.

4. Let them measure things out

Dump out your measuring cups and spoons, and let your little one use them. Give them specific amounts to measure out, or just let them work on pouring ingredients into bowls without worrying about measuring anything at all.

5. Let them wash dishes

By letting your child help with soap and water, you’ll be teaching your young chef how easy it is to clean up after cooking. A dishwasher is a great helper for this task, but if you don’t have one, just let him do it by hand.