Things for my 3yr & 1yr olds to do in the kitchen while I cook

[mm22]

Does anyone have any suggestions or experiences that have worked really well?

We have a pretty spacious kitchen where they can sit on the floor or at the bench while I cook, anything they can do and that's really fun while I cook, say for about 1 hour (hope it's not asking too much)?

Thank you for any ideas at all!!

[Mouchois]

Best thing you can do with your three year old is have him/her help!
The one year old could probably have a good time with a few pots and pans, as well.

[greenmamapagan]

If you can handle the mess (lots of old towels help) DD used to like "washing dishes" in a tu of warm soapy water on the kitchen floor while I cooked. Bonus is the floor gets a wash too

[velochic]

For the older one, definitely join in with the cooking. There are so many things a 3yo can do... tear the lettuce for salad, get what they can reach out of the fridge, mix ingredients, set the table, etc. The little one can sit in a high chair or at the table and mix a few dry ingredients together (then snack on them)... such as mixing together cheerios and raisins or dried cranberries. The earlier you start them "helping" the sooner they will actually truly BE helping. My 7yo does fine with chopping veggies and stirring at the stove and even does a pretty good job kneading bread. She was barely 3 when she started getting involved in the kitchen. I love to cook and she's really enthusiastic about it as well. Good luck!

[LaughingHyena]

If I'm not in a rush the helping with the cooking. DS enjoys peeling onions, fetching things from the cupboards and or course adding ingredients and stirring. He loves spooning muffin mix into the tin or and cookies which have to be rolled into balls and flattened on a tray.

If I want to get on with that myself then anything he can do at the kitchen table. Colouring, playdough, even jigsaws. Things he can do himself but prefers to have regular imput from me (usually admiring the play dough creation before it gets squashed.

We did have a fridge magnet phase too. I made some shapes from craft foam sheets and bought stick on magnets for the backs. I've since seen the foam sheets with a magnetic backing. I used cookie cutters as templates for more complicated shapes but DD was quite keen on the basic ones to make her own patterns

[alfabetsoup]

We have a cabinet with nothing breakable in it. My 1yo makes herself very busy rearranging it, my 3yo sometimes helps her and sometimes helps me.

[Katielady]

ditto on the 3yo helping. sometimes if there's no genuine help he can do, i'll make something up for him. like if i'm chopping onions, I'll make him a station far enough away that he can't reach the knife, and then I put small amounts of chopped onion into a little bowl or cup as I work. His job is to dump the little cup into the big measuring cup and tell me when we get to 2 cups. Something like that. It adds a little extra time but makes him feel like he's helping.

The 1yo likes it when I give her large real ingredients, like whole onions, to put in and out of pots on the floor.

[mm22]

wow thanks so much for sharing your experience, i'm gonna put some to use tomorrow. believe it or not, i hardly every had them both in the kitchen before while i cooked.

but i figure having them do stuff with me in the kitchen is much better than setting them up in front of tv, isn't it?

[pixiekisses]

Helping, yeah, and washing dishes, aka playing with water. Always a big hit and it can go on forever.

[Bellabaz]

Can you give them some bowls, spoons pots etc and let them play. 3 yr old can help with some stuff. Or maybe a small kitchen in your kitchen. DD1 has a wooden play kitchen that doesn't take up space. If you have an island or a spare wall, I think Ikea sells some type of paint or wall paper that is actually like a chalkboard so they can draw. Play dough is usually a winner.

[pixiekisses]

Oh, and yes, we have the wooden play kitchen actually in the kitchen. That's popular too.

[Norasmomma]

I let my 3 y/o help. She has a little butter knife and a cutting board. I also let her play in the sink.

My step sis also recommended on of those plastic lettuce knives to use for small children so they can learn proper knife handling.

We also have a chalkboard low for DD on the pantry door, but I think that's going to change soon. I want to paint it with magnetic chalkboard paint on the whole thing.

[Super_mommy]

Give them Kitchen set to play with while you are cooking. They will love it...

[mm22]

Thanks all!!

I did the combination of all today actually. We also have a kids kitchen set and i dragged that to the middle of the kitchen for them to play. Yes and also water was involved, and the food that I was cooking.

There was a bit of fighting going on and spill on the floor (a lot actually) and my throwing 3 tea towels on the floor for damange control, but we all had a good time, it was fun. DDs were actually EATING what THEY cooked, that being a mixture of water, sultanas, shredded cheese and carrot sticks (arrgh). Interesting how I'm sure I cook better tasting food than that but mine doesn't usually sell as well as what they "cooked".....

I'm certainly more confident with cooking while having both of DDs in the kitchen now. Thanks again for your suggestions!

[Caneel]

The following might not be ok (safety, in the mouth issues) for the 1 year old but my 4 year old loves to "cook" while I make dinner.

I give him a sauce pot filled with corks (from wine bottles), utensils, plates and bowls. He creates different pretend foods. the corks work for us because he gets the thrill of stirring and food placement without the mess of something like dried beans. (tried that, not a good idea in our house, beans everywhere)

I am trying to get him to help with real preparation but his attention span for real food just isn't there yet.