Cooking With Two Year Olds

     Yes can it be done! It is actually fast becoming a 'thing' in our house. It really started months ago. Cutes Patoots has a play kitchen  I set up so I could keep an eye on her while I was cooking in the kitchen. Any time I was in the kitchen cooking she began "cooking" in hers. It was darling. Then a few weeks ago I was making falafel. It's kind of a lengthy process so I started working on dinner as soon as Cutes woke up from her nap. She came into the kitchen and started trying to push buttons on my food processor and saying "I help." It dawned on me then that she was ready. So I got her a chair to stand on (we have since moved to a much safer step stool), but I was unprepared and taken a bit off guard. Despite not really being ready with a toddler friendly recipe I thought it was a great opportunity to get her involved. She was thrilled and that night pleased as punch to have helped make dinner. After a first fairly successful venture I set out to make cooking with mommy easier, safer, and more involved.


Here are some tips for making it possible (fun AND educational).

5 Tips for Cooking with Toddlers

1) Simplicity. A simple recipe is far more likely to keep a two year olds' attention than something complex that takes an hour to prepare and another 45 minutes to cook. I went to my local library's website and looked for kid's cookbooks. I found this one which has a Disney Princess theme. I really like this one. It has some interesting recipes including hummus, a curry, muffins, and a few things like scrambled eggs that you don't really NEED a recipe for but the book seems to make it feel more special to Cutes. So I will be buying this cookbook. The princess theme also makes it fun. I do encourage you though to checkout a book through your local library first. That way you can look over the recipes and see if it is something you and your little one enjoy. Think of it as a test drive. Keep in mind also that simple doesn't have to mean taste-less. If need be you can add a little extra flavor. When we made hummus we added a touch of paprika and fresh garlic.

2) Preparation. Gather your ingredients and tools BEFORE you invite your little one into the kitchen. When you are setting up a sensory activity you prep everything before you invite them to play. Same rule applies to cooking. Two year olds have limited attention spans. Do all of your prep first and you are much less likely to have to finish the cooking by your lonesome. This is another reason simplicity is key. You don't want to have your counters so full of ingredients and tools you can't actually cook. This is also where I tend to do all of my chopping so there aren't knives near small fingers. She knows it's time to come to the kitchen when I bring in the step ladder.

3) Talk. Talk about what you are doing and what you are having them do. Does the recipe call for a 1/2 cup of milk? Then say to your tot "and now we are measuring a 1/2 c of milk." Show them the 1/2 c mark on your measuring cup. Ask them "can you pour the 1/2 c of milk into the mixing bowl?" Just keep chattering. Chances are even if they don't say most of these words they do have a general understanding of what you are saying. This is a great chance to talk to your toddler and demonstrate some math concepts. I have a full set of cup measures but I would tell her things like we need 1 c of flour. Let's use 2 1/2 cups and that will make a whole cup. Does she completely get the concept now? No, but I am laying those foundations early. Cooking can be about more than just the food. It can teach children to follow directions, new vocabulary, math and motor skills as well as how to make tasty food and build their self confidence.

4)  Let Them Do It. While obviously you don't just want chaos in your kitchen and a two year old should not be allowed to do the cutting or operate the stove. There are a lot of things your two year old CAN do in the kitchen. Maybe you do the measuring but let them pour the ingredients. Let them push the buttons on the food processor, or stand mixer. If something doesn't require an exact measurement let them 'measure' it out. The idea is for them to help you in the kitchen so let them actually help you. Give them guidance by telling them what you want, demonstrate the task if they seem unsure but let them do the bulk of the tasks. This is why simplicity matters most. Two year olds are smarter than we often give them credit for. They will know if they are truly getting to participate or if you are placating them. Trust me. I tried that and it didn't work. Cutes Patoots wasn't happy until she was actually having a hand in the process.

5) Have Extras! Okay so this isn't always important but it very much can be. Whatever recipe you are making make sure you have a little extra on the tastier ingredients. Toddlers love to experience the world and it wasn't so long ago that most of that 'experience' was done via the mouth. Let them taste the individual ingredients that are safe for raw consumption. Not only does this take care of snack time but it also gives them a chance to see what everything tastes like separate and then later what it tastes like together. How the tastes change when heat is applied and how the texture changes. There are a lot of things that occur during the cooking process we don't think about as adults that are fascinating to kids.

6) Keep it fun. As with a lot of things with toddlers it is more about the process for them than the results. So have fun. If they lose interest in the actual cooking and just finish up but continue to offer them tasks. The look on their face when they taste their creation is worth any extra mess or 'misstep.'