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ENLARGE
Mandy Hatfield
Regardless of children's ages, there are many fun projects and chores they can help you with in the kitchen. This is a great time to share together and teach your children skills they will be able to use forever. Also, having your kids help you in the kitchen can help encourage a picky eater to try something new.
Basing kitchen tasks on the age and ability level of your child makes for a pleasurable and learning time for all involved. As early as about 2, a child can wash fruits and vegetables, tear lettuce for a salad or wipe down the table. As they get older, kids can help by stirring liquids, mashing up avocados for guacamole or opening packages. By about 5 years old, they could be counting how many tomatoes are needed for salad, cracking eggs or even measuring ingredients for a recipe. Cutting, grating, and learning how to use kitchen appliances can be added as your child has the ability to do the task and can understand the consequences of using the tools incorrectly. Kids love to eat what they help prepare in the kitchen and are more apt to try something they normally wouldn't if they are doing the preparation. They are also learning healthy lifelong eating skills on which they can rely for their entire lives.
Kitchen time can be a wonderful learning experience with your children. It can build their confidence, but is also a great time to share what we know. First, through helping in the kitchen, children at even a young age can learn why it is so important to wash their hands. Children can practice reading ingredients, measurements, and steps for preparation. They can then apply the skills necessary to make a recipe with your help. Cooking has a vocabulary of its own, with words such as sauté, poach and broil. You can share with your child as you teach the techniques associated with these new words. Math is also a part of cooking. Doubling a recipe or splitting it in half requires addition, subtraction, and fractions, as well as practicing measurements. Science is seen in the cooking process as well, in the reactions that create food — for example, the rising of yeast or the process of caramelization. In sharing kitchen time with your children, you are not only teaching the skills of cooking, but also mathematics, science, health, vocabulary and reading, while having a fabulous family time.
I still have many fond memories of the times I shared with my Mom and grandma in the kitchen. I still call them at times to ask advice on techniques they mastered long ago. You, too, can create enjoyable learning experiences for your children, while developing a healthier lifestyle and wonderful memories for tomorrow.
Mandy Hatfield is the Nutrition Education Program instructor for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. She can be reached by e-mail at mandy.hatfield@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 672-4461.
Basing kitchen tasks on the age and ability level of your child makes for a pleasurable and learning time for all involved. As early as about 2, a child can wash fruits and vegetables, tear lettuce for a salad or wipe down the table. As they get older, kids can help by stirring liquids, mashing up avocados for guacamole or opening packages. By about 5 years old, they could be counting how many tomatoes are needed for salad, cracking eggs or even measuring ingredients for a recipe. Cutting, grating, and learning how to use kitchen appliances can be added as your child has the ability to do the task and can understand the consequences of using the tools incorrectly. Kids love to eat what they help prepare in the kitchen and are more apt to try something they normally wouldn't if they are doing the preparation. They are also learning healthy lifelong eating skills on which they can rely for their entire lives.
Kitchen time can be a wonderful learning experience with your children. It can build their confidence, but is also a great time to share what we know. First, through helping in the kitchen, children at even a young age can learn why it is so important to wash their hands. Children can practice reading ingredients, measurements, and steps for preparation. They can then apply the skills necessary to make a recipe with your help. Cooking has a vocabulary of its own, with words such as sauté, poach and broil. You can share with your child as you teach the techniques associated with these new words. Math is also a part of cooking. Doubling a recipe or splitting it in half requires addition, subtraction, and fractions, as well as practicing measurements. Science is seen in the cooking process as well, in the reactions that create food — for example, the rising of yeast or the process of caramelization. In sharing kitchen time with your children, you are not only teaching the skills of cooking, but also mathematics, science, health, vocabulary and reading, while having a fabulous family time.
I still have many fond memories of the times I shared with my Mom and grandma in the kitchen. I still call them at times to ask advice on techniques they mastered long ago. You, too, can create enjoyable learning experiences for your children, while developing a healthier lifestyle and wonderful memories for tomorrow.
Mandy Hatfield is the Nutrition Education Program instructor for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. She can be reached by e-mail at mandy.hatfield@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 672-4461.
