Tips for Cooking With Grandchildren

Our Cooking With Kids recipes are written for children ages 2 and older and their grandparent helpers. Before beginning, read the recipe all the way through. If the child is old enough to read, he or she should read the recipe aloud, while younger children make sure that all ingredients and equipment are clean and ready. If possible, measure out all ingredients before beginning to cook.

Kitchen Tasks From Ages 2 to 12:

Little Line-Cooks:
- Ages 2 to 4: Making sure all the equipment and ingredients are ready, whisking eggs, mixing and rolling dough, cutting out and decorating cookies, and smoothing batter.

- Ages 5 to 7: Reading the recipe, measuring ingredients, kneading dough, cracking and separating eggs, using an electric mixer, pouring liquids and batter, and peeling fruits and vegetables.

Sous-chef-in-training:
- Ages 8 and older: This is the time to teach grandchildren more advanced techniques, like mincing, dicing, and chopping vegetables and meats/fish, folding in egg whites, working with pastry dough, sweating vegetables, browning meat, and boiling pasta.