Preschoolers Helping in the Kitchen

Helping mom and dad in the kitchen is a great job for preschoolers. Even very young children can be helpful and are usually very eager to be involved. Time in the kitchen is educational and simply a great way to spend time with your child. Especially with very young children it may be hard to think of ways that your child can safely help. This article will get you started with some ideas, so grab your apron.

Preschoolers often lack the muscle strength and coordination to do things such as measuring out ingredients and cracking eggs. Planning ahead of time will allow your child to be able to participate in cooking that involves these things. Pre-measure ingredients and crack eggs into individual bowls. Then, your child can add the ingredients together in a bigger mixing bowl and stir them together. If your child needs two hands for stirring, which is likely, provide a heavier bowl that will sit stably on the table, or hold the bowl for your child.

Children love water, so washing is a natural draw for children. Instead of having them stand on a chair near the sink try a safer alternative, a plastic dish pan. The dish pan can be placed on the floor or at the kitchen table with your child sitting in their chair. You can set up two dish pans, one with soapy water and one with plain water, for your child to wash unbreakable objects. Another idea is to give your child vegetables to wash in their dish pan. A favorite for my own children has been cleaning potatoes with a scrub brush. Placing a towel under the dish pan will help avoid any big messes.

Preschool aged children can easily peel hard boiled eggs. Make sure they have cooled down before beginning. Provide a clean surface for child to crack and peel of the shell, and provide a bowl or plate for the peeled eggs to go. The child can enjoy the boiled egg plain as a snack, or the eggs can be used in another recipe.

There are many small tasks involved in preparing a meal in which a preschool aged child can help. Think of all the steps involved in a particular meal, and assign your young child a special task. They can smash the garlic with can, so that the paper can easily be peeled, place biscuits on a baking sheet, or add toppings to pizzas. It is worth the extra time to have your child involved. Your child will beam with pride, have spent quality time with you, and picked up some practical skills all while having fun.