Basic Culinary Skills- 10 Cooking Lessons for Kids
Everyone should have basic culinary skills – we need food to live!
Blessed are those who enjoy cooking and baking. If your children have expressed an interest in cooking or baking, now is the time to teach them! Cooking with kids and teaching them how to be independent in the kitchen is life’s most important skills.
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Just like anything else, you will need to assist your child as they learn basic culinary skills. Throwing them a cookbook and telling them to prepare a meal will be frustrating for mom and child if the basics have not been addressed.
In my home, of course it is easier and faster to prepare meals alone. As a homeschool mom of seven, sometimes the kitchen is a reprieve from all of the people who populate my home. I enjoy cooking in peace while my children are engaged in other areas of my home.
Nevertheless, I am teaching my kids basic culinary skills. Some of them love preparing meals. Others cook out of necessity (I have some picky eaters!). They will all help me out in the kitchen if I ask.
My kids range from 3-17 years old, so we have a wide range of learning in the kitchen going on here. My toddler’s attempts at helping usually result in disaster, and my teenagers can plan, prepare, and serve meals when I am away from home.
Below are ten cooking lessons that you should teach your kids if you want to pass on some of the kitchen work onto your children. Maybe in the process you will inspire a love of cooking and baking! Read on to get started!
What Basic Culinary Skills Should Your Kids Learn?
In this article, we will discuss the ten cooking skills your kids should learn in the kitchen.
- Teach them how to pour wet and dry items.
- Teach them how to measure.
- Teach them how to cut safely.
- Teach them how to use the microwave.
- Teach them how to use the stovetop.
- Teach them how the oven works.
- Teach them how to grill.
- Teach them how to read a recipe.
- Teach them about food safety.
- Teach them how to clean up properly.
Wouldn’t you be proud if your child could master these skills? It is attainable, but it will take your patience!
As a homeschool mom, you already know how to teach your child reading, math, history and science. Life skills are just the same. You have to follow the same steps:
Show them.
Help them.
Watch them.
Repeat often.
As with anything else, becoming a confident and competent cook takes practice. It is a skill that you can spend a lifetime learning and perfecting.
Teach Them to Pour Wet and Dry Items
If you have ever let your child help in the kitchen or asked them to pour milk or measure flour into a recipe, you might be appalled at the lack of pouring skills. How can they miss the container completely?
In a Montessori school setting, the youngest children spend a lot of time pouring beans and water into different containers. If you have a 2-year-old, you might notice how this is an activity that he will engage in for a long time.
Practice pouring items a lot. Practice in the bathtub, practice in the sandbox, practice at the kitchen table with water or beans.
Let your child fill his own water glass. Let him pour his oatmeal or cereal into a bowl. Let him put syrup on his pancake. Yes, there will be messes, but if you cannot pour, you cannot cook or bake.
Teach Them to Measure
If you can pour, it’s time to learn to measure! Get out all the measuring utensils.
Teach them about each measurement unit- a cup, a tablespoon, a teaspoon, a quart. You will need to show this to your child many times before he or she is confident in measuring and pouring for a recipe. Be patient.
Let them practice measuring while they are practicing pouring. Two to six-year-olds will love it, and older kids will catch on quickly.
Teach Them to Use a Knife
As a mother of 5 boys, knives are a part of life. My boys start carrying pocketknives when they make their First Holy Reconciliation, and since we live on a farm, knives are needed at daily chore times to assist in our work.
Similarly, knives are always needed in the kitchen. I am not the mom that forbids knife use, I would rather teach my kids to use knives (and all other tools) properly and with respect.
To teach proper knife safety, you need the appropriate knife for the task at hand. You will also need a cutting board and possibly a step stool if the child cannot reach the counter. Some people like to use these cool safety stools, but I don’t have room for this in my humble kitchen.
You must model proper knife usage to your child. Remember the three teaching steps: Show your child, help your child, watch your child.
These safety stools would be a great help!
Everyday Knife Tasks to Learn
- Butter bread
- Make a PB&J sandwich
- Slice and butter baked potatoes
- Core an apple
- Open packages
- Cut up peppers
- Cut up potatoes
- Cut up vegetables stir fry or raw veggie tray
- Cut up cheese
- Cut up chicken, beef or pork for stir fry
- Peeling Skills- use a knife or vegetable peeler
- Peel potatoes
- Peel apples
- Peel cucumbers or carrots
Teach them to Use the Microwave
The microwave is used as a part of many recipes and can enable your child to prepare a lot of meals and snacks independently.
Remind your child never to put any metal in the microwave, never cook anything that is completely dry, like dry oatmeal or dry beans, and always cook for the lowest recommended time.
My microwave has a 30 second button. My 4-year-old only knows how to use that button. She will repeat if her food is not hot enough (she loves to warm up pancakes for her breakfast).
Show your child how to use the microwave for the following tasks:
- Warm up leftovers
- Make Oatmeal
- Melt butter
- Make popcorn – follow directions carefully!
Teach them how to use the Stovetop
Cooking on the stove feels like real cooking, doesn’t it? Even if your little chef is still a novice, there are a few things that he could make on the stove top with minimal help.
Show him how the knobs work on your stove and how the burners are connected. Point out which pots and pans are appropriate for the stove top burners.
Making fried eggs is a perfect introduction to stovetop cooking.
How to Make a Fried Egg
- Pick the proper skillet, turn stove on medium heat.
- Put oil or butter in the skillet to prevent burning.
- Crack the egg into the pan – crack egg into a separate dish if he is worried he will get shell in the pan)
- Season with salt and pepper
- Watch until the egg is mostly cooked, and it is easy to slide spatula under egg.
- Flip and cook until yolk and white are firm.
- Remove from pan, turn off burner.
- Enjoy!
Other Stovetop Meals/Sides Your Child Can Help with
- Boxed Mac and Cheese
- Rice
- Canned Soup or Beans
- Cooking meat or veggies in a skillet as part of a dinner recipe (like taco meat or sauteed broccoli)
- Cranberry Sauce- Thanksgiving is coming, although my kids make this any time I can find cranberries.
Teach them to Use the Oven
If you ever want your kid to make homemade cookies or bread, you have to teach some oven skills.
I am dreaming of the day that one of my children LOVES to bake and we will have cookies and cakes and brownies and muffins every day. Although then, I will probably outgrow my clothes and have a new problem……..
The oven is pretty simple to operate but it appears to have a lot of knobs and buttons on it. It is also counter height, so make sure your child can reach or uses a sturdy stool or chair when operating.
The best way for most children to learn by doing. So, next time you are cooking something in the oven, take the opportunity to explain how the oven works to your child.
- Teach them how to preheat before baking.
- Teach the difference between baking, roasting and broiling.
- Show where the timer is and how to use it.
- Show where the baking pans are and what each is used for.
- Remind your child where the hot pads are.
- Caution to be aware of surroundings when opening the oven, looking out for small children or animals.
Easy things that a child can oven bake:
- Roast cut up veggies with olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Store bought French bread
- Bagged French fries and tater tots
- Frozen pizzas
How to Grill
Lucky for me, my 3 older sons have taken over almost all of the grilling. We recently bought a Blackstone grill, and they love cooking on it.
Gas grills are so easy to cook on, but if you have a charcoal grill or smoker, that’s even better. All boys (and girls) love building fires.
On our propane Blackstone, my kids just need to know:
- How to turn on propane.
- How to turn on grill.
- How to flip food over with a spatula and move it around for even cooking.
- How to turn off grill and propane, and how to clean it off when done.
The Blackstone Grill our Family Loves!
They enjoy cooking hamburgers, hotdogs, steak, salmon and brats. The Blackstone has a flat cooking surface, so they also make bacon, fajitas, shrimp, roast vegetables and pancakes.
It is so nice for my kids to take over the grilling so I can focus on the side dishes.
Following Directions and Reading Recipes
A lot of food comes in packages. Rice, frozen potatoes, store bought French bread, frozen pizza, canned soup all have directions for cooking on the packaging. Show your kids where the package directions are on food items.
For other items, you will have to demonstrate cooking skills. You will have to demonstrate how to read a recipe. If you are 30 years old and have been cooking for years, you forget that this can be overwhelming to new chefs.
Partner with your child on a meal that you need a recipe to prepare. It would be best if it is something that your child really enjoys eating!
I have a few old cookbooks that have basically taught me to cook. If you have a recipe that includes all the basics and favorites, make sure to show this to your child. I try to tell my kids which cookbooks have their favorites in, so they can independently make their favorites.
Here are my three favorite cookbooks that cover all the basics. Let me know if these are your favorites too!
Food Safety and Hygiene
No one wants to eat something prepared with dirty hands. Remind your kids to wash hands before preparing food and keep cutting boards and knives clean.
Kitchen Clean Up
Cooking and baking can be messy, but that’s okay. Model for your kids the best way to clean up after food preparation. Clean up together and it is a win-win solution for everyone!
Basic Culinary Skills for Kids
I hope that this article is inspiring you to help your kids learn cooking skills! You should also read 10 Easy Snacks Your Kids Can Make. Teaching our kids life skills like food preparation is so important!
I also have a gift guide for teens (and tweens) who like to cook.
Ultimate Gift Guide for Teens That Like to Cook
For other hobby ideas, check out Unique Hobbies for Homeschoolers- 14 New Ideas
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