Cooking with children is an activity that can be both educational and fun. Getting little ones involved in the kitchen not only creates moments of connection, but also teaches important skills such as responsibility, teamwork and even basic maths. Here are some tips and recipes to make this experience safe, enjoyable and unforgettable.
Preparing the Environment: Safety First
Before you start cooking with children, it's important to make sure the environment is safe:
Organise the kitchen: Remove dangerous objects such as sharp knives, cleaning products and switched-on appliances from the area where the children will be.
Explain the rules: Teach children about the importance of washing their hands before cooking, not touching hot surfaces and always asking for help when using sharp objects.
Use suitable utensils: Choose kitchen utensils that are safe for children, such as plastic knives, bowls that don't break easily and aprons to protect them from stains and dirt.
Choosing Simple and Fun Recipes
Opt for recipes that are easy to follow and have steps that children can carry out independently. Here are some ideas:
Personalised Mini Pizzas
Ingredients: pizza dough (or pita bread), tomato sauce, grated cheese, and a variety of toppings (tomato, ham, olives, mushrooms).
Directions: Let the children assemble their own pizzas, choosing and adding the toppings they prefer. Then put them in the oven to bake.
Decorated biscuits
Ingredients: biscuit dough, biscuit cutters in fun shapes, coloured icing, confetti.
Directions: Children can cut the dough into different shapes and, after baking, decorate with icing and confetti.
Fruit salad
Ingredients: a variety of fruit (strawberry, banana, kiwi, grape, mango), yoghurt or honey to accompany.
Directions: Let the children help cut up the fruit (with safe knives) and assemble their own bowls of fruit salad.
Tips to Make the Experience More Fun and Educational
Make the kitchen a classroom: Take the opportunity to teach about the importance of healthy eating, the properties of food and even simple mathematical concepts such as measuring ingredients.
Encourage creativity: Allow children to create their own flavour combinations and decorations, encouraging personal expression and confidence.
Celebrate successes: Regardless of the end result, celebrate the children's efforts. Experience and fun are more important than perfection.
Benefits of Cooking with Children
Cooking with children offers many benefits besides fun:
Development of motor skills: Activities such as stirring, cutting (safely) and decorating help develop fine motor skills.
Nutritional education: Children learn about the importance of choosing healthy, balanced food.
Strengthening family ties: Cooking together is a great way to create memories and strengthen the bond between parents and children.
Cooking with children is an excellent way to spend quality family time while teaching valuable life lessons. With the right recipes and a safe environment, you can turn the kitchen into a space for learning, creativity and fun. Get ready for lots of laughter, mess and, of course, delicious creations that you can savour together! To savour the delights that have been made, take a look at our website to get ideas for decorating your table. Make the most of these moments, they are memories that will stay with your children forever, and with you too. Make the time worthwhile. I hope you enjoyed yourselves.
See you next week!
Idalina
