Cooking with children
Getting your children involved in cooking is an important way to educate them about food and hygiene. Educating children about foods that are good and bad for them from an early age will ensure that they have a healthy outlook on eating. Involving your children in the cooking process will encourage them to recognise good foods.
Brightly coloured fruit and vegetables are appealing to a child’s eye. Although fresh produce can be expensive, it is worth it to shop around or go to fresh food markets at the end of the day when fruit and vegetables are being sold off cheaply.
It is important that your child feels involved in every step of the cooking process, so begin by reading through the recipe with them. Reading something different to the usual bedtime story provides variation in language; it is a good idea to introduce your children to different styles of writing so that they can expand their vocabulary.
Be organised. When you are cooking alone you might well get out equipment and measure out ingredients as you go along. You probably guess how much flour or sugar you will need. However, when cooking with children, it is worthwhile to be organised from the outset. Encourage your child to help you set out equipment on a cleared work surface. In the same way, make sure all ingredients for the recipe are measured out from the outset and set aside ready to use. If the process is organised, your child will be able to remember exactly what to do.
Ensure you talk to your child about safety before you begin cooking. Anything that could be potentially dangerous needs to be kept away from the child. Explain to your child that you will chop the vegetables and they can put them onto the baking tray. Make sure they know that it is only you who can use the oven/hob and lift heavy equipment. At the same time you should always ensure your child feels involved, so allow them to mix a cake mixture before you take your hand to it.
The final step before you launch into cooking is hand washing, this is vitally important and you should ensure your children are aware of this. For younger children encourage their understanding of bacteria by explaining that without washing hands bad bacteria can get into food which is eaten and can lead to poorly tummies.
Follow these easy steps and you’re ready to get your children cooking! It is a fun and educational activity and even if you get a bit of flour on your face it will be worth it to see their smiling faces when they tuck into their culinary creations!