Cooking With Preschoolers

Posted by Carla Snuggs Jun 25, 2008

Cooking with kids age 2-3 can be tricky because their gross and fine motor skills are still developing. I know that when I work with kids these age, I’m most concerned with safety issues and the amount of cleanup the activity will entail.

When you’re cooking with kids this age, they usually can help with the following tasks:

• Stirring and mixing
• Mashing (think bananas)
• Pouring from a large measuring cup into a bowl
• Patting or packing ingredients in a measuring cup like brown sugar.
• Using a plastic butter knife to spread soft foods like butter or jelly
• Shaking ingredients in a plastic container with a lid
• Using a cookie cutter on soft cookie dough

In this hot weather you may be hesitant to cook but try making simple, cool snacks with no heat necessary. Here are some suggestions:

• Ice cream sandwiches (using graham crackers and ice cream)
• Homemade ice cream (let the children pour ingredients into the ice cream maker)
• Fruit and yogurt parfait using whipped topping, pudding, and raisins and nuts for garnish
• Fruit smoothies (let kids select fruit and pour ingredients into the blender)

Always be sure to check for food allergies and have all the children wash their hands before beginning any cooking activity.