Eating healthier is easier when you do it together. Help kids develop a love of nutritious foods by teaching them to create meals with you. Follow these tips to get everyone in on the fun.

What Each Age Can Do

Ages 2 and Under
  • Play with plastic measuring cups, spoons, containers, a water bowl, and a whisk.
  • Learn to say the names and colors of foods being used.
  • Smell foods and, depending on the food, taste small amounts.
3-Year-Olds
  • Rinse and scrub fresh produce.
  • Tear, snap, or break foods.
  • Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes in dough.
  • Pluck fruits or leaves from stems.
  • Dip foods into dips.
  • Arrange foods on a plate.
  • Help stir ingredients together in a bowl.
4-Year-Olds
  • Measure ingredients.
  • Cut with a plastic or dull table knife.
  • Squeeze juice from fruits.
  • Shake ingredients in small containers, such as jars or zip-top bags.
5-Year-Olds
  • Help grate cheeses and vegetables.
  • Crack and beat eggs.
  • Peel oranges.
6–8-Year-Olds
  • Read the recipe.
  • Crack eggs.
  • Measure small amounts of ingredients.
  • Use an eggbeater.
  • Rinse, scrub, and peel onions, carrots, cucumbers, and other produce.
  • Grate cheese and vegetables.
  • Decorate cookies.
  • Spread soft frostings and condiments.
  • Roll out and shape dough.
  • Cut soft foods with a plastic or dull table knife.
9–13-Year-Olds
  • Follow recipes and make simple meals by themselves.
  • Use electrical tools like blenders and mixers.
  • Open cans.
  • Drain cooked pasta in a colander.
  • Remove trays from the oven with adult supervision.

References

Cooking Matters