When Is It Safe for Kids to Cook in the Kitchen?
This is a partnered post.
At what age can your children safely cook in the kitchen? They love to watch you and help you when you are making a meal. Whether your children eagerly anticipate cooking or you’re curious if they’re ready to learn the skills, you will have to make that decision as a parent. There is no single rule for the appropriate age to allow kids to cook.
A child could easily make a meal that does not require heating up the stove. Each child is unique in personality and development and some can do more at an earlier age than another. One child may flawlessly cook at the stove at age ten while other kids aren’t quite ready at that age. Parents should decide if their children can safely cook based on their personality and development. Parents know best!
Create a More Appealing Kitchen
First things first—provide kids with an appealing, comfortable place to cook. This encourages them to get in there and get going. A mom and dad can feel comfortable knowing that their kitchen will be the place where their children can learn new skills. A few ways to make the kitchen more appealing is by adding new countertops, placing backsplash on the wall, and installing new cottage kitchen cabinets.
The Age Kids Can Cook
Experts agree that by age eight, many children have developed the skills necessary to safely cook at a stove. This age is not one-size-fits-all, however, and some kids are not ready to cook at a stove at this age. When you help kids in the kitchen when they are young, they’re more likely to cook at the stove at an earlier age than other kids. Others develop skills at a later age, sometimes at age 11 or 12 years old. Children who aren’t yet ready to operate the stove can still use the air fryer, toaster oven, or microwave.
Safety Cooking Tips for Children
Heighten your child’s love for cooking while they’re still young and they’ll cook like a pro in no time! When your child shows interest in cooking, make sure to enhance that love by helping them learn the basics, and then move on to more complex cooking endeavors.
No matter what age your children begin cooking, the following safety tips ensure they do so without accidents. Use these tips to further heighten your child’s love for cooking as you keep them safe.
Permission First
Kids feel mature when doing grown-up tasks like cooking. They want to impress mom and dad and do things that adults do. However, they should understand that cooking can be dangerous and is something they should do only with parental/adult permission. Instill consequences if your children use the stove without asking permission first.
Kid-Friendly Recipes
Preparing some recipes requires more skills than others. Do not overwhelm children by giving them recipes that are out of their capabilities or comfort zone. Kid-friendly recipes are designed to help kids love cooking even more. Search the web for kid-friendly recipes and create that love for cooking with your kids.
Safety 101
Tons of dangerous tools are in the kitchen that looks pretty neat to kids. They also lack understanding of their danger and how easy it is to get hurt. Avoid knife accidents, as well as other kitchen tool accidents, by teaching kids how to properly use these items. Many parents use plastic knives to begin teaching knife safety at a young age and then advance to sharp knives later.
Clean As You Go
Cleaning messes as you go prevents accidents. Clean kitchen space is easier to work in and reduces risks of food contamination. Clean spaces make meal prep much easier and less time-consuming. Kids that are old enough to use a stove can also clean their workspace as they cook.
Is it Time for Your Children to Cook?
Children enjoy cooking but without proper safety precautions, dangers lurk. Children are ready to cook when they master the above tips. Practice makes perfect and safety is the first priority. In no time, your kids will be the next master chefs in your family.