Cooking with Children: Tips for your family cooking sessions

Set rules: Playing and experimenting in the kitchen is fun, but a few basic rules should be followed for a smooth and safe process. These include, for example, washing hands before cooking, careful handling of kitchen knives, electrical appliances and the stove, as well as tidying up after cooking. The most important rule: Agree with your kids that they must never use sharp knives, peelers or other pointed kitchen tools without your supervision.

Allow enough time: Those who usually want the meal on the table in no time are usually put to a small test of patience when cooking with children. Ideally plan a bit more time to master unfamiliar tasks together, to take a closer look at the ingredients, or to answer all your kids' questions about cooking or the different foods.

Preparation: The right preparation is also essential when cooking with children. If you've agreed on a recipe, lay out the needed ingredients and cooking utensils and explain to your kids the individual steps you will take together.

Trust and confidence: When a child handles a knife, many parents' adrenaline automatically rises. But only through practice do children learn to handle a knife correctly. Trust your child a little – it promotes dexterity and self-confidence alike. However, note that you should never take your eyes off your child while cooking and, depending on their age, provide assistance when cutting food.

Let things slide: Even if the carrots are a bit unevenly chopped, flour is scattered on the countertop, or fingers end up in the salad dressing — so what? When cooking with children, fun and shared family time should be the focus. Perfectionism is more of a nuisance.

Cleaning up and washing dishes: Cooking with children not only includes preparing the food but also tidying up after the meal. If you have a dishwasher, explain to your children how to best load the plates, glasses and cutlery. When washing by hand, your kids can help by handing you the plates and co. or by helping to dry and put away items with a dish towel.

Little helpers — children can help you with these tasks in the kitchen

Stirring: Even small children can stir dressings and cold dishes. If you hold the bowl while they do, handling the mixing spoon becomes even more fun.

Washing fruits and vegetables: For very small children, provide a bowl of water in which fruits and vegetables can be washed playfully. Older children can do this independently on a step stool under running water in the kitchen sink.

Chopping: From about three years old, children can practice cutting with a small vegetable knife or children's knife. Slightly older children also like to help with grating vegetables. It's best to pre-cut hard fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots so that later chopping is easier for them. However, always keep an eye on your children!

Assembling and decorating: Whether it's the slice of cheese for toast Hawaii or the toppings on a pizza — even the smallest ones like to help you assemble and decorate dishes and, with small instructions, create great meals. Weighing and counting: Six potatoes, three eggs — counting individual ingredients is already possible for kindergarten children. Weighing on the kitchen scale works together when your child adds the ingredient and you read the amount.

Tasting: In the end most kids look forward to tasting the cooked dishes. This way even the littlest train their palate and taste whether more salt or another ingredient is needed. Incidentally, your kids may also try dishes they would otherwise refuse on the plate — after all, they prepared the dish with their own hands.

Well equipped: This is how little chefs have even more fun cooking

With a own apron and practical kitchen accessories children feel like grown-ups in the kitchen. Special children's cutlery such as children's knives with a large handle and rounded tip are especially easy to handle for small hands and not only offer more safety when chopping but also quick successes when handling the kitchen knife. On colorful children's tableware homemade dishes taste even better and the little ones can wash the sturdy dishes themselves later.

Ideas for tasty recipes to cook with children

Cooking for children follows slightly different rules than cooking for adults – presumably the favorite foods of your kids differ from what you as parents like. The same applies to cooking with children, so we have a few tips and ideas for first successes in the kitchen.

Quick meals: When you cook together with your children, choose simple dishes whose preparation does not take too long – this way the steps remain comprehensible for children and they stay focused. Perfect are pasta dishes, soups, casseroles or colorful salads with a mild dressing. Inspiration and many practical tips as well as tasty recipes are offered by cookbooks and baking books for kids.

Season sparingly: Most children do not like spicy or heavily seasoned food. Season dishes for little gourmets a bit more sparingly or let your child help with tasting. Some spices can also be "toned down" — for example by using sweet paprika powder instead of spicy paprika or a mild curry powder instead of the hot blend.

Consider preferences: It's true that many children are more willing to try when they have cooked the food themselves and may also venture to try disliked types of vegetables or similar. Nevertheless, of course it's most fun to cook one's favorite dishes. When cooking with children, choose what your little ones are in the mood for – and hide a little bit of vegetables here and there for picky eaters here and there a bit of vegetables, for example on pizza, in a pasta bake or in a creamy soup. Gradually your children will learn healthy eating habits — without coercion.

Baking together — a highlight for kids

Colorful muffins, fun-shaped cookies or cakes — children are almost always up for baking together. After all, there's plenty to nibble on already during preparation. And with cheerful baking molds and utensils, even the smallest can be really creative.

A tip: Just mix a cake when your child next asks for chocolate or cookies — often baking effectively diverts from the craving for sweets away.

Image credits

Father in a red and white chef's apron cooks with child © bernardbodo - stock.adobe.com

Child cuts peppers, leeks, tomatoes at the kitchen table © Halfpoint - stock.adobe.com Mother and child bake cookies © Halfpoint- stock.adobe.com