Cooking With KidsCooking With Kids

Match your kids' skill levels with various tasks for safe kitchen fun. Here are some suggestions for

age-specific tasks:

Cooking Skills by Age

Tasks they can do: •Wash fruits and vegetables•Stir ingredients in a bowl•Tear lettuce•Pour liquids like adding measured amounts to batter.

3-Year Olds

Tasks they can do:•Grease pans•Open packages•Peel scored oranges• Snip fresh herbs with dull scissors•Mash bananas with a fork

4-Year Olds

Tasks they can do:•Measure ingredients•Cut soft foods with a blunt knife•Set the table•Garnish food

5-to 6-Year Olds

Tasks they can do:•Help plan the meal•Roll and shape cookies•Beat ingredients with a whisk•Find ingredients in a cabinet or spice rack•Make a salad

7-to 8-Year Olds

Tasks they can do:•Open cans •Make simple recipes with few ingredients•Use a microwave oven•Prepare oven (with supervision)•Use a knife (with supervision)•Shred cheese and vegetables

9- to 12-Year Olds

Top 9 Safety Top 9 Safety Rules for KidsRules for Kids

Rule #1Rule #1

Check that the oven and other cooking appliances are turned off before you leave the kitchen.

Rule #2Rule #2

Keep electrical appliances away from water to avoid shocks.

Stay away from electrical sockets, especially if your hands are wet.

Rule #3Rule #3

If you burn yourself, tell If you burn yourself, tell an adult immediately an adult immediately and hold the burned and hold the burned area under cool area under cool running water.running water.

Rule #4Rule #4 Don’t put knives Don’t put knives

or other sharp or other sharp objects into a objects into a sink full of sink full of water. water. Someone could Someone could reach in and get reach in and get hurt.hurt.

Rule #5Rule #5

Watch out for Watch out for sharp knives. Let sharp knives. Let an adult cut or an adult cut or slice foods or slice foods or help you do it.help you do it.

Rule #6Rule #6

Never put water on a cooking fire - - Never put water on a cooking fire - - it could make the fire bigger. it could make the fire bigger.

Ask an adult for help! Ask an adult for help! Put out a fire with a fire extinguisher. Put out a fire with a fire extinguisher.

If the fire is small, it can be put out If the fire is small, it can be put out

with baking soda or smothered with with baking soda or smothered with a lid.a lid.

Leave the house and call 911 if the Leave the house and call 911 if the fire has leaping flames.fire has leaping flames.

Rule #7Rule #7

Don’t put cooked Don’t put cooked food on an food on an unwashed plate or unwashed plate or cutting board that cutting board that held raw food. held raw food. Always use a clean Always use a clean plate.plate.

Rule #8Rule #8

Always turn pot Always turn pot handles in toward handles in toward the back of the the back of the range top. This range top. This way no one can way no one can bump into them bump into them and knock the pot and knock the pot over.over.

Rule #9Rule #9

Keep paper towels, Keep paper towels, dish towels and pot dish towels and pot holders away from holders away from the range top so the range top so they don’t catch on they don’t catch on fire.fire.

General Safety Rules for General Safety Rules for Care GiversCare Givers

Adult SupervisionAdult Supervision

Adult supervision is Adult supervision is mandatory. Ovens, mandatory. Ovens, knives and bubbling knives and bubbling pots become pots become potential accidents potential accidents when kids are left on when kids are left on their own in the their own in the kitchen.kitchen.

CleanlinessCleanliness

Instill cleanliness by Instill cleanliness by washing hands in hot washing hands in hot soapy water before soapy water before and after handling and after handling food, pulling back food, pulling back long hair, or cleaning long hair, or cleaning countertops.countertops.

Danger ZoneDanger Zone

Always return Always return unused portions of unused portions of perishable foods, perishable foods, like dairy products like dairy products and meats, to the and meats, to the refrigerator right refrigerator right after using them. after using them. Don’t let them sit Don’t let them sit out on the counter.out on the counter.

Microwave SafetyMicrowave Safety

Teach microwave Teach microwave oven safety. Show oven safety. Show how to select a how to select a microwaveable bowl microwaveable bowl and to use pot and to use pot holders when holders when removing containers removing containers from the oven.from the oven.

Tasting Foods Tasting Foods

When shaping foods When shaping foods with hands, caution with hands, caution children not to lick their children not to lick their fingers or put their hands fingers or put their hands in their mouths. This is in their mouths. This is especially important with especially important with raw foods, such as raw foods, such as cookie dough and meat.cookie dough and meat.

Cooking When SickCooking When Sick

Instruct children to Instruct children to direct sneezes and direct sneezes and coughs away from coughs away from food, to use a food, to use a tissue to cover tissue to cover mouth and nose mouth and nose and to wash hands and to wash hands immediately immediately afterward.afterward.

The End. The End.