Cooking at home can be a sensory playground for children. By handling, pouring, and tasting, kids can explore a variety of foods from a young age and spend quality time with their parents.

Interested in learning more about how to engage children of different ages in cooking activities? In this article, you'll find helpful tips and ideas for having fun cooking with your little ones at home.

Cooking with Children: Montessori Approach

Cooking with children is a 360-degree educational experience that aligns with the essence of the Montessori method. Maria Montessori, in her book "The Child in the Family," wrote: "[...] The child must be able to use everything needed for the order of the house, and must be able to do all the daily life works [...]." Ideally, each room, including the kitchen, should offer the child the opportunity to practice daily activities.

But what are the benefits for children cooking with parents?

- They can train their sensory skills, stimulating the recognition of smells, colors, and flavors.

- They learn to know and appreciate a greater variety of foods.

- They can spend quality time with their parents.

- They learn to collaborate with others to achieve a goal.

- Develop motor skills, fine hand movements, and cognitive abilities.

- They can learn to count through simple actions like adding spoons or cups of ingredients to recipes.

Cooking with Young Children: How To

To ensure that the kitchen is a fun and growth experience for young chefs, it is important to provide children with suitable tools and activities based on their age and maturity level. Here are some tips to make cooking together a time of growth and enjoyment for you and your son or daughter.

Make the Space Accessible and Safe

The first step in involving a child in cooking is to make the space accessible for them to move freely and safely. If your child cannot reach the kitchen countertops yet, it is essential to have a stool or a Montessori learning tower on hand so they can work without difficulty.

Creating a designated area with their utensils and basic ingredients like flour and sugar can help them access these items independently.

Provide Age-Appropriate Utensils

There are kitchen utensil sets designed for children that include cookie cutters, whisks, rolling pins, spatulas, and aprons. Additional items like funnels for liquids, a colander, a sieve for cocoa, sugar, and flour, a potato masher, a vegetable mill, a grater, and plastic knives for softer ingredients such as cheese or avocado can enhance their cooking experience.

Offer Age-Appropriate Activities

In addition to creating a child-friendly kitchen, it's crucial to suggest activities suitable for their age and maturity level:

Cooking Activities for 2-3-year-olds

Around 2-3 years old, children can:

- Wash fruits and vegetables.

- Pour liquids, beans, and flours, which they can also sift.

- Use a salad spinner and a vegetable mill.

- Work ingredients by hand.

- Grease trays and roll out dough.

- Spread creams, jams, and soft cheeses on bread.

- Peel hard-boiled eggs.

- Shell peas and beans.

- Grate cheese and vegetables.

Cooking Activities for 4-5-year-olds

At 4-5 years old, children can start more complex activities such as:

- Prepare dough and form meat or plant-based meatballs.

- Break and beat eggs.

- Prepare cake batter using spoons and hand whisks.

- Make dough for bread, focaccia, or pizza.

- Use a juicer.

- Cut soft ingredients like bananas, butter, and avocado with a child-friendly slicer.

- Use a pasta machine to roll out dough with adult supervision.

- Make cookies using molds.

At this age, children can also set the table, clear the table, and load the dishwasher.

Cooking Activities for 6-year-olds and Up

Once children start school, those already accustomed to cooking with parents can learn to read recipes, measure ingredients with a scale, and even write the grocery list.