How to Cook With Your Kids
And still make edible food without setting anything on fire
With a few tips and the right tools for the job, cooking with small children can be fun, safe, and less messy than you think.
By Alexandra Frost
“Mom, can I help?” It’s a phrase that exhausted parents trying to crank out dinner—while playing referee to keep kids out of the snack cabinet and preventing pasta on the stove from boiling over—have likely heard before.
Sometimes you may stop and let a kid crack an egg or stir the pot. Other times, you may brush them off and ask them to set the table or go fill up drinks. Both are totally valid responses in the chaos of parenting life.
But, at some point, kids can and should learn how to cook, if only for the basic life skill of feeding themselves when they fly the coop. If you want to teach your kids more than the minimum ramen-in-the-dorm-room lesson, we’ve got amazing tips on how to cook with your kids so that the food is delicious, their efforts are rewarded, and no utensils are set on fire in the process.
Health and Social Benefits
Some research shows that there are health and social benefits for kids whose parents cook with them. A 2020 study in Current Developments in Nutrition suggested that children who sometimes or always helped in the kitchen had a higher vegetable and fruit intake than those children who never helped in the kitchen. But parents may need a little help in this department: according to North Dakota State University, on average, about 29 percent of children make their own dinner at times.
“Cooking is such an important life skill and it’s never too early to start teaching them,” says Lindsay Livingston, a registered dietitian, food blogger, and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. “Kids are naturally curious and most will want to help if they see you working in the kitchen. It’s a great opportunity for you to spend time with them while also doing necessary household chores like making dinner. Kids are also more likely to try new foods if they’re involved in helping choose and prepare them.”
Sometimes, it’s just about getting set up with the right tools and processes to accommodate your curious little chef—or to spark an interest in more reluctant kid cooks.
Kids’ Kitchen Skills by Age
Livingston says her kids were helping in the kitchen at 14 months old. At that age, my five kids were still trying to figure out how their legs worked, and maybe smacking a stirring spoon on a cabinet. But as she says, age will vary.
Toddlers
“Toddlers are fully capable of helping with things like dumping cans into bowls, stirring or whisking ingredients in a bowl, mashing bananas, using an ice cream scooper to scoop batter into muffin tins or cookies onto a sheet, and getting ingredients from the pantry,” Livingston says.
Once they are around 2 or 3 years old, Livingston says kids can practice kitchen skills that require more dexterity and focus, including cracking eggs, peeling veggies, and using a kid-safe knife to chop soft produce like fruits, mushrooms, zucchini, and peppers. This is also a great age for peeling hard-boiled eggs, holding a hand mixer (they may need help with that), wiping down the counters, and washing the dishes/loading the dishwasher.
Preschoolers and kindergartners are often ready for more advanced cooking duties such as cutting vegetables with a kid-safe knife.
Photo: Alexandra Frost
Preschoolers to Kindergarteners
Once toddlers turn into preschoolers and kindergarteners, they’re ready for more advanced duties. “They can start practicing [cutting] with harder veggies like carrots and broccoli, flipping pancakes on a griddle, and stirring things on the stove,” Livingston says. “It requires lots of patience and vigilance as they learn about kitchen safety and being careful around a hot stove or pan.”
And then the moment we have dreamed of since our babies were spitting baby food at us: They become school-age children and can start taking over more in the kitchen.
First-Graders and Older
“As they get to school age and learn to read, they can practice following recipes all on their own, making a grocery list, and working on math by halving or doubling recipes,” Livingston says.
Cooking Tools for Kids
When setting up your kitchen, look for safe knives and cutting utensils, fun aprons, cutting boards that teach kids to separate different foods for preparation, and kid-friendly cookbooks, says Whitney Cardosi, a nutrition coach, children’s cooking instructor, and author of In The Kitchen: Healthy Meals You’ll Actually Enjoy. Cardosi says she also loves mini waffle irons, donut makers, and popcorn makers.
But remember: If your kids are anything like mine, they’ll be perfectly happy with an old pot and a wooden spoon in those early years. Later on, they’ll likely want to use the “real” gear that they see their parent using to cook. But in those ages in between, there are some useful gadgets, especially smaller and safer cooking utensils and items that make the whole experience a lot more fun. Here’s what the experts, and my own kids, recommend:
Colorful, Sturdy Cookware and Dining Ware
Kids use a lot of bowls when they cook—they might need to measure into one bowl and then pour into another to keep things straight. Colorful mixing bowls make it easy to say, “Now pour the blue one into the pink one.”
Photo: Alexandra Frost
Bamboozle bowls come in a seven-piece set with bowls in sizes that range from 0.25 quarts to 4 quarts and are made of biodegradable bamboo fiber. I love these bowls because they are lightweight, stackable, shatterproof, and easy enough for young kids to handle, even when they are full of muffin batter. The smaller bowls also double as serving dishes.
After they’ve made their meals, my kids like to scoop little portions into stainless steel Ahimsa dining ware for kids, which was designed by a pediatrician. These dishes, which we have in a shiny cool-blue colorway, have helped me replace the plastic trays they used to use, minimizing our plastic exposure. Ahimsa also sells kid-sized cups and utensils that they love.
Sometimes, a long day calls for fancy dining ware. We are fans of Noon & Moon, including the company’s splatter-painted bowls and Calla Retro Dinner Plate in the shape of flowers. They argue over this one. Buy a few.
Where to Buy
? Bamboozle nesting bowls: Amazon, Bamboozle Home, Food52, and Wayfair
? Ahimsa dining ware: Ahimsa Home, Amazon, and Bloomingdales
A Step-by-Step Visual Cookbook
Adult cookbooks can be inaccessible to many kids, especially those just learning to read. It’s hard to imagine how different and awesome kids’ cookbooks can be until you crack open Look and Cook Snacks, by Valorie Fisher, a Cardosi-recommended cookbook and one my kids obsess over. The book doesn’t just instruct you to “Use 1 cup of brown sugar,” for example, but instead breaks down that instruction into three smaller steps that demonstrate to younger children how the task should be done.
A Stool and Kid’s Table
Clunky kitchen helper-style stools take up serious space in the kitchen—all so kids can reach the counter, cut three strawberries, and get bored. Instead, I bought the sleek and convertible Avenlur Date Tower, which is user-friendly and folds with just two hinges into a chalkboard, desk, table, and chair. Its versatility is impressive, and no tools are required to quickly convert it from a stool to a table.
Where to Buy
? Avenlur Date Tower: Amazon, Target, and Walmart
Food Recycler
Teaching my children to recycle is a must. The Mill is a food recycler that looks like a trash can. My kids scrape their leftovers into it and they become compost—without any odor. This gadget has cut our trash in half and it’s a great tool for integrating sustainability lessons into cooking.
Safe Knives
Having five adventurous kids has meant a few ER trips throughout the years for stitches, breaks, and falls. But since discovering safety knives for kids, I feel more at ease knowing they won’t cut their fingers off trying to make cucumber or watermelon into artwork at snack time.
Curious Chef Knives are designed with nylon serrated blades and ergonomic handles and are the perfect size for small hands. Each set comes with three knives in large, medium, and small sizes (there are no arguments here now since everyone has their own knife). The knives are recommended for ages 4 and up.
Where to Buy
? Curious Chef Knives: Amazon and Target
Protective Gloves
Cutlery-Pro safety cutting gloves are designed to fit children’s hands. They’re food-safe and made from HPPE (high-performance polyethylene), basalt fiber, and spandex. They are stretchy enough for little kids to put on themselves but sturdy enough to protect them from sharp and abrasive edges.
Where to Buy
? Cutlery-Pro Store Mesh Level 5 Gloves: Amazon and Walmart
Look the Part
As with anything for little kids, dressing the part is a must. Learning Resources chef costume/apron is perfect for my younger toddler, who wants to participate but mainly wants to look like he owns a food truck. The tiny utensils and pocket on the apron are fun for him to pull out and actually try to cook with, though they aren’t functional.
Buying older kids a simple chef’s hat can also be a fun touch. Every little chef needs their own apron, and the Hedley & Bennett collection allows them to match you with aprons that feature a variety of characters from Star Wars to Sesame Street.
Finally, the Melissa & Doug chef costume for ages 3 to 6 includes a personalizable name tag, three wooden utensils, an oven mitt, a jacket and hat, and plastic measuring spoons. These little outfits also make for super cute pictures and memories of teaching kids to cook.
Where to Buy
? Learning Resources Chef Costume: Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Wayfair
? Melissa and Doug Chef Costume: Amazon, Macy’s, Melissa and Doug, Target, and Walmart
The author and one of her five children bond over cooking and stylish matching aprons.
Photo: Alexandra Frost
Food Storage Solutions
I’ve been trying to find food storage solutions that allow my kids to more easily reach for ingredients they need while cooking and access the foods they want to eat.
Caraway’s Food Storage Set makes cleanup and food storage with kids super easy for a few reasons. First, it has a glass top so kids can see what’s inside. This 17-piece set includes four smaller storage containers that are optimal for kid-size portions and for little hands to use.
We’ve also had fun with various freezer trays, such as the Souper Cubes Freezer Tray, for freezing sauces and smoothie ingredients. Even baby food containers work well. My kids helped repurpose some pesto we made in a blender, pouring it into this WeeSprout Baby Food Freezer Tray and then popping one out later as a flavor bomb or soup starter.
Where to Buy
? Souper Cubes Freezer Tray: Amazon and Souper Cubes
? WeeSprout Baby Food Tray: Amazon and WeeSprout
Must-Have Appliances
There are a few appliances that make cooking with kids of all ages especially enjoyable and easier. The DASH Mini Waffle Maker creates heart-shaped waffles that make kids feel like fancy chefs. Air fryers have nearly replaced the microwave in our home. Our kids can throw chicken nuggets in and turn it on, or use it to revive cold pizza back to life. The Fritaire Air Fryer is a favorite here because of its bright orange color and clear glass bowl that allows kids to see their food as it’s cooking. When we are baking, I opt for pour-in standing mixers, such as the Kenmore Elite Ovation Mixer, which is easy for kids to use.
Where to Buy
? DASH Mini Waffle Maker: Amazon, Target, and Macy’s
A Note From Our Messy Kitchen to Yours
Parents: Our kitchens aren’t going to be picture-perfect, minimalist, aesthetically pleasing Instagram posts. But the messy normal chaos is absolutely Instagrammable because that’s what’s real.
To cook with kids, you have to drop your standards (and then drop them another level) because it gets really messy when kids are truly learning and trying things on their own. We want that more than any Hallmark moment or perfectly shaped pancake. And they will remember it, both when they make their partner an omelet years from now—and also when they think of their childhood kitchen and you in it with them covered in flour.
More from Consumer Reports:
Top pick tires for 2016
Best used cars for $25,000 and less
7 best mattresses for couples
Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright ? 2024, Consumer Reports, Inc.