Cooking activities are a great opportunity for children to explore new foods, and can even help to encourage learning eaters to try something new! Here’s some ways you can get children involved in cooking activities in your centre.
Skills development
Children under 2 are just starting to develop key fine motor skills, and activities like cooking can be a fantastic opportunity to practise emerging skills like two-handed coordination, the pincer grip, and transferring objects in and out of containers.
Tasks
- Some great steps they can help with include:
- Washing fruits and vegetables
- Tipping, dumping, and pouring pre-measured ingredients
- Tearing lettuce or herbs
- Kneading or mixing dough with hands
- Scooping and stirring (needs assistance)
Recipes
Try these simple recipes:
- Fruit rockets
- Rainbow veggie cups
- Smoothies
- Sandwich sushi
- Veggie dips
- Fruity faces
Top tips!
- Ensure children are always supervised when cooking and eating. Remember that some ingredients may present choking hazards for small children.
- Practice good hand hygiene by washing hands thoroughly.
- Ensure plenty of cloths or wipes are close to hand (before you begin!).
- Aprons or smocks can protect clothing and limit mess.