Cooking with Kids: The Perfect, Easy Crepe
| 2 min read
Think getting your kids to help out in the kitchen only teaches them about cooking? Think again! Creating a dish together can boost independence and self-confidence, improve math and language skills and even encourage healthier eating habits. And the whole family benefits: By getting everyone involved in the kitchen and eating meals at home, you can save up to $200 per week, cut down on processed foods and enjoy some quality time together.
If you’re nervous about bringing kids into the kitchen, don’t be. These tips will help you keep things calm and safe:
- Know what they can handle: Get smaller kids started with minor prep tasks like helping wash fruits and veggies or assembling snacks. As children grow older, their responsibilities can increase, ultimately including having them help with stirring pots on the stove and chopping.
- Create a cooking station for them: Set aside some space for kids on a kitchen table or counter away from dangerous things like knives and open flames. This will help them focus on tasks and allow you to do your cooking with little interference.
- Let them take the lead: Get kids to take charge by reading instructions and measuring ingredients. Not only does this help them feel more involved in the process, but it also improves basic academic and problem-solving skills.
- Create the menu together: Kids will be more excited about cooking if they’re a part of deciding what to make. Encourage them to flip through cookbooks or look online for recipes they’d like to tackle.
- Establish a routine: While it’s not the most fun part of cooking, proper set-up and clean-up are important if you want to create good kitchen habits early on. Remind kids to keep a neat cooking area and take a team work approach to cleaning up after the meal.
Ready to get cooking together? Try this kid-friendly recipe for healthy crepes, courtesy of Chef Griffin Wilson from GreenSpace Cafe in Ferndale.
Photo credit: Brisbane Falling
