There are those who say that the kitchen is the soul of the house. Preferences, memories and skills are born there that will be used throughout life. While it’s magical, the kitchen can also be dangerous: hot surfaces, noisy utensils and sharp knives are the worst villains. So the question remains: OK include children in the kitchen?
The answer is: yes, but carefully!
Cooking with kids can be a lot of fun, but you need to take some precautions. TO avoid accidents.
When preparing recipes with children, for example, it is essential to always explain to the little ones the function and risks of each utensil. Appliances equipped with blades, as well as the hob and oven, are always the responsibility of the adult!
Plus, it’s worth keeping an eye on them, even when the little ones are doing the simplest tasks.
In the kitchen children learn, in addition to cooking, of course! – about the importance of food, avoiding waste, improving motor coordination and even understanding mathematical concepts.
Considering this learning opportunity combined with fun, it is worth thinking about and delegating some culinary tasks to the little ones based on their age and abilities. Check:
Kids in the kitchen: find out how every age group can help
Even the little ones, up to 6 years old, can help
Al children under 3 years old they will simply love it mix the ingredients!
To do this, provide a large plastic bowl and silicone spoons – or other types of material safe for little ones – that won’t hurt their fingers. How about delegating the task of mixing all the ingredients for a refreshing fruit salad?
To help assembling a pizza, sprinkling cheese and other ingredients can be functions of children aged 3 to 6 years.
Teach, but allow the child to explore their skills on their own too. In the case of cookie recipes, it’s worth having the dough rolled out or the cookies cut with fun molds!
From age 7 onwards, let children explore new cooking skills
Wchildren aged 7 to 11 years They will be able to read the recipes and use some tools, such as the garlic press, the potato masher, the salad spinner and the manual fruit juice spinner.
Additionally, this age group is a good time to introduce the use of simple knives, such as table knives.
Let children cut soft foods because they are easier to handle and cut with skill. At this age cakes and biscuits can already be prepared without help, with only supervision.
Supervision is key, even for those over 12 years old
This age range is excellent for children to learn how to safely use the stove, microwave, blender, mixer and mixer.
Older children can also cut fruits and vegetables with a dull but sharp knife. A tip for this teaching moment is to teach the child to protect his fingers while slicing by curling them backwards.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
