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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Image courtesy of ShutterStock
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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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| Image courtesy of ShutterStock |
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.
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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