Sept. 13 is National Kids Take Over The Kitchen Day. Not many people even know such a day exists! Understandably, having kids in the kitchen may not sound like a parent’s dream — unless they’re helping with the dishes.
However, inviting your kids to help you prepare meals can be fun and a chance to bond with them as they develop valuable skills. Let’s explore ways to make your kitchen a playground for flavors, bonding and cherished memories.
Encourage Them To Do Simple Tasks
If you want to encourage your kids to participate in the kitchen, start them off with simple tasks like washing produce, greasing pans for baking or measuring ingredients. As they get accustomed to the kitchen, they can start other activities like preparing meals.
Find Fun and Easy Things To Cook With Kids
It’s important to find recipes your kids will have fun preparing. The simpler they are, the better. Kids will get frustrated with complex recipes. Consider classic Tennessee recipes with few ingredients so your kids can quickly prepare the meals. You can also look at the must-try restaurants in and around Bristol, TN/VA for some more classic Tennessee foods.
Download Cooking Games for Kids on Their Phones
There are hundreds of cooking games for kids to help them explore their creativity. These games feature real and simple recipes like sandwiches, pancakes, salads and pizza. When they play those games, they’ll want to join you in the kitchen and practice what they made in the game.
Buy Them Kids’ Cooking Kits
Buying kids’ cooking kits is one of the first steps in encouraging your kids to participate in the kitchen. Through the kits, they can get accustomed to items found in the kitchen. Once you invite them into the kitchen to cook for real, they will already know the use of various objects.
You can also buy them cooking gear such as a chef’s hat, kid-sized apron, mini tongs, small spatula and other tiny cooking tools. These are great gifts for kids who like to cook.
Allow Room for Mistakes
It’s likely some of the recipes your kids attempt won’t come out perfect. Explain that it’s part of the learning process. Tell them what went wrong and how they can improve next time. Most important: Encourage them to keep trying.
Are you ready to invite your kids to participate in the kitchen? Why not try this in your new home in Bristol? Contact us to learn more about how you can be part of our Bristol community.
