Turning the preparation of meals into moments of sharing with your family. Cooking a special recipe with children to surprise mom or dad. Keeping the pantry organized and the dishes clean with the help of our little ones. These are some activities that make time in the kitchen less lonely and more entertaining. Although it might prove challenging, it creates memories and contributes to children being more autonomous.
Preparing meals with children
Adapting the challenge to the age of the children in question, they can contribute in various ways to help prepare a meal.
Washing fruit and vegetables. Gathering the necessary ingredients. Mixing preparations. Placing ingredients in recipients. Cutting food with children-specific utensils. Always with supervision. These are some of the tasks on which the young ones can get hands-on. Actively taking part in a task that they see as being for grown-ups, gives the child confidence, a sense of responsibility, and autonomy. At the same time, it can be a stimulus to create healthy food habits and enjoy new food. Having a good dynamic and selecting colorful food, such as vegetables and fruit, can be a good start.
Cooking a special recipe
Bringing a recipe to life to surprise mom or dad will make every child proud. Be it by recognition or by understanding he/she was capable and could do it.
When we are talking about surprises, baking a cake is usually foolproof. Children love preparing ingredients, breaking eggs, weighing sugar and flour, and mixing whenever needed. For this activity, try not to use kitchen robots or other equipment – the more manual the better. The children will feel they control the entire process and have the opportunity of handling and touch different textures. The cherry on top is the moment of decorating the cake. Let them use their imagination and decorate as much as possible. Use fruit, chocolate chips, and even small objects or toys that belong to the child, if dully sanitized – it will ensure the cake is exclusive and customized.
Another option would be to prepare a pizza. Kids have lots of fun handling dough and playing with making different shapes. Placing ingredients is also an excellent moment to learn and taste different food.
And don´t forget to try our recipes, developed by Lume Brando, for more ideas and suggestions!
Keeping the pantry organized and the dishes clean
Leave aside the thought that “little children are more of a nuisance than a helping hand when it is time to tidy up”.
If we give them proper missions and provide the necessary support, not only will they prove themselves helpful, but you can also share fun moments with the kids. Tidying up the pantry can be a chore that becomes more fun even to the grown-up when shared with children. Asking them to hand this or that, will not only excite the young ones for its sense of responsibility but can also be an educational moment in which we present new food and ingredients. We can also take the opportunity to teach some safety rules regarding products that should not be within their reach, such as detergents, and explain to them why. Presenting other options, which they can handle to a certain extent, trying to focus on what is adequate for them, will shift their attention from those types of products.
Washing the dishes can also be an exciting chore for the little ones.
Choosing utensils that are not fragile and that are safe will contribute to a good experience when washing the dishes. Also, having a sink with safety features, like an effective anti-flood system (ranges FUSION and URBAN), is a tip not to take lightly. The same applies to an effective mixer tap to save water (range LINE MN), which doesn’t exempt your supervision to ensure the least possible waste.
We stimulate several skills when involving children in domestic activities. Responsibility, self-esteem, self-confidence, and autonomy. Ability to work in a team and follow guides. Traits are crucial to their development and needed in so many contexts. Better yet, with these interactions, we are teaching by our example, making it easier for them to learn and motivate such skills.
Let your imagination flow, listen, and observe your children. More ideas will come up for you to have fun and learn from the little ones in the kitchen.
