Kids in the Kitchen
Eating healthier is easier when you do it together. Help kids develop a love of nutritious foods by teaching them to create meals with you. Follow these tips to get everyone in on the fun.
What Each Age Can Do
Ages 2 and Under
- Play with plastic measuring cups, spoons, containers, a water bowl, and a whisk.
- Learn to say the names and colors of foods being used.
- Smell foods and, depending on the food, taste small amounts.
3-Year-Olds
- Rinse and scrub fresh produce.
- Tear, snap, or break foods.
- Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes in dough.
- Pluck fruits or leaves from stems.
- Dip foods into dips.
- Arrange foods on a plate.
- Help stir ingredients together in a bowl.
4-Year-Olds
- Measure ingredients.
- Cut with a plastic or dull table knife.
- Squeeze juice from fruits.
- Shake ingredients in small containers, such as jars or zip-top bags.
5-Year-Olds
- Help grate cheeses and vegetables.
- Crack and beat eggs.
- Peel oranges.
6–8-Year-Olds
- Read the recipe.
- Crack eggs.
- Measure small amounts of ingredients.
- Use an eggbeater.
- Rinse, scrub, and peel onions, carrots, cucumbers, and other produce.
- Grate cheese and vegetables.
- Decorate cookies.
- Spread soft frostings and condiments.
- Roll out and shape dough.
- Cut soft foods with a plastic or dull table knife.
9–13-Year-Olds
- Follow recipes and make simple meals by themselves.
- Use electrical tools like blenders and mixers.
- Open cans.
- Drain cooked pasta in a colander.
- Remove trays from the oven with adult supervision.