Kids can help in the kitchen too! Get the kids involved, busy, and cooking with these 10 tasks kids can help with in the kitchen.
10 Tasks Kids can Help With in the Kitchen
Does your little one love to help in the kitchen? Do you find yourself shoo-ing them out because it's just easier and quicker to do it yourself? Reconsider welcoming them back in!
There are so many reasons that children belong in the kitchen with you. They are bonding with you and having fun. Plus, they're learning real life, practical skills that they'll use for the rest of their lives, like serving their family and others, developing hand-eye coordination, strengthening fine and gross motor skills, and learning math concepts like measuring.
So get the kids busy and cooking with these 10 Tasks Kids Can Help with in the Kitchen, and let them pull up a stool and get involved!
10 Tasks Kids can Help With in the Kitchen
1. Making Salad - Tearing lettuce, tossing salad ingredients, drizzling dressing, and dividing up into bowls can all be completed by even small hands.
2. Washing and Drying Dishes - Sometimes to keep my little ones busy while I do other tasks, I will give them a sink of soapy water and let them wash plastic cups, bowls, and utensils that have accrued throughout the day. They can also carefully help dry with a clean towel and put away what is within reach.
3. Whisking and Stirring - Hand over the spatula, wooden spoon or whisk for cake mixes, pasta salads, mashed potatoes, pancake batter, or even scrambled eggs Give your arms a rest and the kids a little fun.
4. Setting the Table - These fun placemats from Melissa & Doug
5. Sweeping - Yes, you may have to go back over it later depending on their age but children love to help with tasks like this and it’s worth it! They will get better as they grow mom and will thrill to helping with this task.
6. Clearing the Table - My children are required to clear away their dishes, scrape them, and place them in the sink. They often carry others plates away and help put away condiments as well, I love how they are learning to serve others in this simple way.
7. Food Prepping - Peel potatoes, shuck corn, shell peas, etc. Teach little hands a few times to do these tasks and you will find they are almost always willing participants with dinner prep. My kids' favorite is peeling garlic, which is fortunate because that's my least favorite! Add a cute apron like this fun Darth Vader apron
8. Meal Planning - Allow little ones to have a say in dinner, maybe let them choose the entire dinner for one night, with a few guidelines. You may be surprised at the healthy choices they can and will make when given a little power. I find my children take pride in “their dinner” choice and are also willing to try new things.
9. Washing Produce - Set a colander in the sink and let them wash well- strawberries, grapes, potatoes, lettuce. They can’t really overwash it so let them go crazy- fun with water and it saves you a step! We do this when we first bring home our produce, wash it all in bulk, and repackage in smaller containers in the fridge.
10. Chopping - Yes chopping with a knife! Under extremely close supervision, my kids can use one of my big knives to chop easy things, like pecans since they basically break apart with impact. We also use these Nylon Knives from Curious Chef
Did you like these Tasks Kids Can Help with in the Kitchen ideas? Find more on my Parenting and In the Kitchen boards on Pinterest!
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Sam @ Living The Dutch Dream says
Great ideas! My girls love to help in the kitchen. In fact it's normally one their first choices of the incentive rewards I offer for achievements and good behaviour.
Mistie says
Love all of these! My boys love being in the kitchen (especially my toddler). They help with all of the above, even chopping too! It can be messy sometimes, but the benefits far outweigh any mess. Found you at A Bouquet of Talent link party. Pinning!
Meg says
My three-year-old LOVES to help me cook. He's getting pretty good at a lot of the tasks you mentioned: stirring, dumping in measured ingredients, clearing his plate, etc. Oh, and taste-testing, of course. I love those Melissa and Doug place mats to help them learn the proper table setting.
Natalie says
Thanks for sharing such a great list. I think my favorite one is meal planning with my kids. It's the only way to make sure I plan meals they want to eat for the week. It's also been fun lately writing the shopping list with them. It brings up many interesting discussions about what ingredients are used in a meal. Thanks for sharing such great ideas!