If your toddler or preschooler are anything like mine then they want to help mom with whatever I am doing. Sometimes this isn’t a good thing but sometimes it’s very good! Having your very own toddler sous chef can help speed things up for meal prep as well as get those mundane tasks accomplished. This will keep your toddler happy and you will be happy knowing that they are safe in your sight.
I am sharing with you some of the many ways that a toddler can help in the kitchen. As soon as your child is able to sit up and grab things with their hands they can be taught how to help!
If your child isn’t allergic to citrus then having your child peel an orange is a great fine motor opportunity. I usually score the orange with my Tupperware peeler.
I loathe scrubbing potatoes and usually only do this IF they appear dirty or if we are making baked potatoes. Lil’ Red loves water and any reason to play with water makes him happy to help.
Being big like Mom and Dad is what life is all about. Allowing my toddler and preschooler the chance to learn to use a child safe knife is a great way to do just that. We own a few Pampered Chef kid’s knives.
Prepping lettuce for a salad is another time consuming task that a toddler will be great at. Getting to rip and tear the lettuce is more fun then eating it.
Lil’ Red has been a super help with peeling garlic by hand. When we got a garlic peeler he loved putting in the cloves and pressing the peeler. This is a great way to strengthen arms and hands.
Hard boiled eggs are a favorite at our house and a must for any salad! Lil’ Red really thought he was big stuff when he was allowed to “slice” the egg all by himself.
Keep an eye out for more ways your child can help in the kitchen no matter what the age or skill level!
This post is part of Study at Home Mama’s 31 Days of Kids’ Kitchen Activities. Be sure to check out all the other activities (over 60)!
