Kids in the Kitchen: Great Recipes for Your Child’s First Time Cooking

Young children are inquisitive by nature and they long to be helpful. It’s amazing to see how eager they are to help wipe down the table after dinner or assist you with sweeping up the floor; tasks that you likely aren’t too fond of yourself. Take their love of learning and their desire to help into a great opportunity for bonding together in the kitchen – let them help you cook!

There are so many advantages to letting your children play chef. Not only does it provide them with something fun to do, it allows them to feel a sense of pride in creating something, helps to teach them responsibility, and can even aid in the development of language and math skills! Bet you didn’t realize that your kitchen was such a powerful classroom.

Are you interested in getting your kids involved with cooking, but don’t know what to have them help you make? Here is a look at some simple, yet tasty recipes that are ideal to get the little hands of your tiny chefs some cooking experience.

Cheesy Eggs

Start the day off with a great batch of protein-packed cheesy eggs that your children can easily assist you with making. To make this breakfast (or any other meal) dish, start by letting your kids help you crack two eggs into a bowl. Let them sprinkle in some salt and pepper to your desired taste (1/4 teaspoon of each should be more than enough) and beat the eggs with a wire whisk until they are completely blended.

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Place a nonstick pan on medium heat and add the eggs. Kids love using their hands, so let them sprinkle a handful of grated cheese on top of the eggs. After they’ve cooked through, remove from the heat, and serve! In a matter of five to ten minutes, your kids will have helped you prepare a simple, yet tasty meal.

Pigs in a Blanket

This easy and filling recipe is great for kids to help make. All you need is a package of store-bought crescent rolls and a package of mini hot dogs. Heat your oven to the temperature specified on the package of crescent rolls. Have your kids help you open the rolls and separate them on a baking sheet. They can then place a single hot dog at one of the ends of the triangle-shape of the rolls. Roll the hot dog into the crescent and then arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and you have a tasty lunch, dinner, or snack.

English Muffin Pizzas

Instead of ordering out for pizza, let your kids help you make this healthier and less expensive alternative! They’ll love getting to sprinkle on their own toppings. To make, split open as many whole wheat English muffins as your family will eat and place them on a baking sheet. Spread a spoonful of jarred pizza or pasta sauce onto each muffin half.

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Now it’s time for the fun part. Let your kids create their own masterpieces. Set out mozzarella cheese and any desired toppings-pepperoni, meatballs, sausage, pineapple, or veggies. After each pizza has been covered thoroughly with toppings, place them into an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees F and allow to bake until the cheese starts to brown, roughly about 10 minutes. After they’ve cooled, dig in!



Getting your kids involved in the kitchen by letting them help prepare simple recipes will serve as a great bonding activity, teach them valuable lessons, and who knows, may even get them to eat something they would never have tried before.

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Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in Southern California. As a mom of three kids, she loves letting them help in the kitchen and is always looking for meals and snacks that they can help to create. She contributes to the Candy Concepts Inc. blog. Follow her on Twitter for more! 
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