Gourmet Lessons

I recently was reading the Scholastic Child and Parent Magazine and found these fun new ways to get the kids in the kitchen. I absolutely love them.

Gourmet Lessons

The joy of cooking up teachable moments

in the kitchen

Search n Sort

Gather cans from the pantry and have your child sort or arrange by color or alphabetically.

Then they can come up with pattern that you identify.

Veggie Jigsaw

Cut up a carrot and invite your child to reassemble it.

Have an older child put together multiple veggies carved and cut into irregular shapes!

Super Market Sweep

Create a list of foods and products in your kitchen, and ask your child to find the objects.

Recipe Quiz

Pull a cookbook off the shelf and ask your child to search for simple words like- eggs, cups and milk. The older the child the more complex the ingredient.

All these ideas and activities get the kids in the kitchen having fun and learning. Don't forget the easiest way to get your kids involved is by simply asking them to help you cook dinner or put together a grocery list. Kids want to feel engaged and involved in their family and family decisions. 

Make dinnertime fun with silly questions and scenarios. Take time to talk about the day and anything your child is excited about. Try to leave stressful adult topics off the table remember this is a "family friendly zone".

I find it helpful to set reasonable expectations before the meal begins. For example: please pick 2 new veggies from the stir-fry you would like to try tonight?

 

*Remember studies show you are your child's biggest influence through the age of 18 on attitudes and behaviors toward food.