Kids in the Kitchen

Helping to prepare a family meal can do wonders for children’s self-esteem and if they are involved in the cooking they are more likely to try the end result. OK, so inviting your pint-sized sous chefs to help in the kitchen could be a little chaotic, but the skills they’ll learn will be well worth the slightly raised stress levels! Minimise the mess with a wipe-clean tablecloth, aprons and robust equipment like wooden spoons and plastic bowls. Give them simple tasks: children under three can mash with a fork or potato masher, stir ingredients, roll out dough and use plastic cutters to make shapes. Three- to five-year-olds can cut soft ingredients like bananas with plastic knives, tear herbs, hull strawberries and measure ingredients into a jug. They will enjoy cracking eggs and whisking and – of course – decorating cakes.