Kid Friendly Kitchen Tasks for Every Age

KID-FRIENDLY KITCHEN TASKS FOR EVERY AGE Help your kids start young and master simple cooking tasks before moving on to more complex skills. Use these age-appropriate ideas to keep your kids excited, safe and well-educated in the kitchen! AGE-APPROPRIATE KITCHEN TASKS 3-5 YEARS OLD Children at this age love to help in the kitchen, but be sure to supervise them closely. • Use cookie cutters • Rinse produce in a large bowl filled with water • Clear tabletops • Mix simple ingredients • Use a pastry brush to oil bread, vegetables and other foods • Use a plastic knife to cut soft fruit or vegetables on a cutting board • Use pieces of fruit to craft funny fruit faces 6-7 YEARS OLD Kids can start to handle more • Crack eggs into a bowl • Use a vegetable peeler • De-seed peppers and complex kitchen tasks as their fine motor skills further develop around this age range. tomatoes • Shuck and rinse corn • Use blunt scissors to cut green onions, parsley and other herbs • Stir and prepare instant pudding • Prepare lettuce for a salad 8-9 YEARS OLD Skills and abilities within this age range tend to vary. Tailor cooking tasks to the child's maturity level. • Rinse and clean vegetables • Use a can opener • Beat eggs • Measure and mix dry ingredients • Use a food thermometer • Juice citrus fruits • Pound chicken on a cutting board 10-12 YEARS OLD Help preteens feel independent in the kitchen by providing them with more responsibilities (but still keep an eye on them). • Boil pasta and vegetables • Simmer ingredients on the stovetop • Follow a simple step-by-step recipe • Slice and chop vegetables • Bake and microwave foods DON'T FORGET FOOD SAFETY BASICS Clean all countertops Never taste food until and kitchen surfaces it is done cooking. before cooking. Always cook with adult supervision. Pull back long hair. Wash hands in warm, soapy water before and after handling food. Always use clean utensils. HELPFUL TIP: To ensure all germs are killed, wash hands for at least 20 seconds or as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. When kids help out in the kitchen, they not only have fun, but also learn cooking skills, food safety basics and proper nutrition. Plus, they can further develop math, reading, science and fine motor skills – all while spending time together as a family. KIDS eat right. Kids Eat Right: www.kidseatright.org Home Food Safety: www.homefoodsafety.org Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: www.eatright.org Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation