How to Teach Kids Basic Cooking Techniques

Teaching your kids basic cooking techniques is a great way to bond with your children, while you teach them how to prepare healthy meals for the whole family.  It is also a great way to introduce kids to different types of foods and to spark their creativity as they try to come up with new recipes.

Items Needed

• Aprons


• Oven mitts


• Pot holders


• Measuring cups

Cooking

1. Plan a meal to cook together.


2. Choose meals that are simple to prepare, with directions that are easy to follow and have minimal ingredients.  Good ideas to start out with include spaghetti, macaroni and cheese and pizza.


3. Ask the kids to come up with their own simple recipes to try out.


4. Have the kids look for the necessary ingredients or go on a shopping trip to the grocery store to pick them out.


5. Teach children the importance of safety in the kitchen by showing them how to use oven mitts or pot holders to handle hot dishes and by telling them to keep a safe distance from a hot stove.


6. Have children wear aprons to protect them from splatters.


7. Have children that are too young to handle knives help with mixing, crumbling and tearing food items.

Pizza

1. Gather the ingredients to make pizza, including store bought pizza dough, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and assorted toppings.


2. Give each child a designated task.  One can roll out the pizza dough while the other one measures out cheese and tomato sauce.  You could also use English muffins or bagels for individual pizzas.


3. Have children spread tomato sauce on pizza dough and sprinkle it with cheese.


4. Encourage children to get creative and choose different toppings to put on their pizza.


5. Bake the pizza in the oven according to the instructions on the pizza dough.