Cooking with Kids
Looking for an activity to do with your kids on a rainy day,
to keep them busy during the summer holidays or to spend
some quality time together? Why not cook together!
Cooking with kids teaches them an important life skill,
while giving you the opportunity to teach them about food
and eating together. Add a visit to the farmer's market or a
local farm to pick the ingredients and they'll also learn
where their food comes from.
When children are involved in cooking meals, they are more
likely to eat it. So this is a great way to encourage kids to
eat more vegetables and fruit. It might take a little more time and effort for the adults at first, but all of you may enjoy it so much that it becomes a regular habit for your kids to help out in the kitchen!
Age Appropriate Cooking Skills
Even young children can help out in many ways. Children under six can tear lettuce, grease cookie sheets and pans and peel oranges, bananas and hard cooked eggs. Children seven to eleven years old can use blunt knives and peelers. Twelve year olds and up can prepare meals on their own. Visit this website to learn more ways your child can help out in the kitchen. It also has age appropriate activities for adults and kids to do together.
Summer Ideas
Popsicles are a summer favourite! Make your own with 100% fruit juice or chocolate milk. Add berries, cherries or chunks of fruit like peaches or mango for a fruity surprise. Use a store-bought popsicle mold or small cups and popsicle sticks or small spoons as the handles.
Make seasonal summer smoothies. Start with a base of plain or fruit yogurt and milk or soy milk. Then add your own favourite summer fruit like fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, mango or watermelon. Be creative and try different combinations.
After cooking together, have a picnic in the backyard or at the park. On a rainy day, spread a tablecloth on the floor and have an indoor picnic for a change.
Kid-Friendly Recipes
Here are some kid-friendly recipes to get you started. Involve your children in choosing recipes for snacks and meals. Happy cooking!
Strawberry mini muffins
Manitoba strawberries are juicy and full of flavour. Try visiting a strawberry patch this summer to pick your own strawberries for these kid-sized muffins.
Mango lassi
A tropical twist to your typical smoothie. Mangoes are especially tasty in the summer.
Chicken kabobs with peach salsa
Kids like anything on a stick! Change it up and use cherry tomatoes, crisp zucchini, juicy peaches or any summer vegetable or fruit instead of sweet peppers on your kabob.
Canadian summertime fruit salad with vanilla maple yogurt dressing
An easy and tasty treat. You can also use the yogurt dressing as a dip for vegetables or fruit. Instead of hazelnuts as a topping, try slivered or sliced almonds, pistachios or walnut pieces.
