URCHIN Baby
0844 573 6006
sign up for emails
home > Urchin inspiration > children and food > How to get your kids into cooking
How to get your kids into cooking image

Related Categories

How to get your kids into cooking

16 April 2008
We all lead very busy lives but our children are not learning to cook at school so it’s up to us as parents to teach them; think of it as investing in their future – better for their health and easier on the wallet. Cooking is a basic life skill which we seem to be losing! Kids need to see muddy vegetables and raw meat and fish to get a sense of where their food is coming from. There is a very good chance that if your child has helped to cook the food, they will eat it!

Ask your children to help you cook

Cooking is an everyday activity not just a one-off cake baking session in half term. Try and get your kids to help you make tea or supper at least once a week. With young children this can be a challenge. Of course its is quicker to do it yourself and less messy but here are a few ideas to get everyone started;

Easy jobs that don’t involve sharp knives –

  • Washing and shredding salad and putting into a large bowl
  • Washing vegatables and fruit;
  • Making salad dressing;
  • Making crumble topping;
  • Measuring and weighing;
  • Making cookies;
  • Buttering slices of bread;
  • Arranging biscuits on a plate;
  • Grating cheese (with a safety grater);
  • Scrubbing potatoes or carrots;
  • Laying the table – making it look nice with place names and napkins etc.

    Older children who can safely use a sharp knife love to chop up vegetables.

    If you have a little more spare time at the weekend you could choose a recipe together – use a recipe a book with pictures – and supervise your child with the cutting, chopping, boiling or frying.

    Family rituals

    It may seem a bit old fashioned but you won’t meet a child who doesn’t enjoy stirring the Christmas cake mixture and making a wish or a child who doesn’t take great pleasure in making labels for the pots of home-made blackberry jam.

    These “seasonal” activities are a great way to teach children that various foods are plentiful at certain times of the year and that our eating habits often go in cycles – warming, comfort food in the winter and lighter, fresher tastes in the summer - that it’s worth waiting until June before you eat delicious English strawberries!

    It’s up to you!

    If you as a parent find cooking a chore then the chances are your children will too but eating is one of life’s great pleasures and its up to you to teach them…

    Take a deep breath
    Choose a recipe that is easy and quick
    Put on your pinny- put on their pinny. Crank up the music – ok, it might have to be MacFly or Girls Aloud but hey... Try and enjoy!

    Kids Cookery Courses

    If it seems too daunting to let your kids loose in the kitchen then why not sign them up for one of the growing number of cookery lessons around the country. They can come home and teach you!

    London
    www.caffecaldesi.com
    www.thekidscookeryschool.co.uk

    Bath
    www.thebertinetkitchen.com

    Cheltenham
    www.stickymitts.co.uk

    Suffolk
    www.kitchenconfidence

    Books and Recipes

    There are so many recipe books that it’s impossible to make a selection here but find one with big glossy pictures so your child can see an end result. Many supermarkets have seasonal recipe cards which you can pick up whilst shopping.
    You can just about find any recipe on the internet nowadays as well.

    www.bbc.co.uk
    www.recipes4us.co.uk
    www.virgin.net




    		•
    HACKER SAFE certified sites prevent over 99.9% of hacker crime.

    May We Suggest
    HACKER SAFE certified sites prevent over 99.9% of hacker crime. Urchin - SafeBuy Accredited member 403011 Investor In People Powered by E-business Coach's ecommerce software.