A Few Ideas for Kids Who Cook

To ensure that your child enjoys a safe and successful foray into the world of cooking (and to help you maintain a modicum of sanity), experts recommend that you keep the following suggestions in mind--and at hand:

Kitchen ground rules --Make sure your child knows that an adult should supervise cooking projects, and that until the child is old enough, knives and stove tops are off limits.

Tools of the trade --Stock your kitchen with safe and sturdy utensils that children are likely to use: a garlic press, a scissor-grip can opener, a long-handled vegetable peeler, and plastic or metal measuring cups, spoons and mixing bowls.

Point of view --It’s important for a small child to be able to see what you’re doing and to reach his own countertop work area comfortably. A high-backed, stable chair to stand or kneel on, situated well away from the stove and the oven, will give him a good perspective.

The cutting edge-- Sharp knives should be kept entirely out of reach, and their dangers should be made clear. Three-year-olds can begin honing their manual dexterity by slicing bananas or soft foods with a butter knife. When you feel your child is ready--usually around age 7 or 8--he can graduate to sharper knives and simple slicing exercises with cheese and vegetables.

Stove-top safety --Thousands of children are burned in kitchen accidents each year, and a good number of such mishaps are preventable. Emphasize that the stove and oven can be dangerously hot and shouldn’t be touched. Be sure pan handles are turned inward over the stove, so they can’t be caught and tipped, and keep an eye on pans that might boil over. Get in the habit of turning off the heat before you remove a pan from the burner. When your child is strong enough to begin handling hot pans, buy him a child-size oven mitt for each hand. They are much safer than potholders.

Cleanliness is next to godliness --Explain the importance of thoroughly washing--and drying--hands before and after handling food. A full-length apron will keep clothes clean. Long hair should be tied back and sleeves rolled up. Food needs to be clean too. Scrubbing fresh fruits and vegetables is an easy project for young children.

Plan ahead --Involving your child at the planning stage will make him feel more important. Choose the recipe carefully. The fewer ingredients, the better (never more than six). The same goes for steps in preparation. With young kids especially, it pays to do some of the chopping and measuring in advance, leaving them the glory of the final assembly. Later, as they gain experience, they can begin to take on more of the project.

After you’ve selected the recipe, take your child along when you go shopping. Choosing the right ingredients is a lesson in itself and will make him feel more responsible for the meal. Older children can begin to help spot bargains.

Specialties of the house --Give children their own special tasks--peeling the vegetables, setting the table, making the salad--to make each child feel responsible and capable. As little cooks mature, they might want to start a collection of recipes that are “theirs”--ones that they can make for the family any time.

Cooking by the book --There are a number of good cookbooks for children: “Dinner’s Ready Mom,” for kids 8 and older, by Helen Gustafson (Celestial Arts Press, $8.95); “My First Cookbook” and “My First Baking Book” by Rena Coyle (Workman Publishing Company, $8.95 and $9.95); “Kids Cooking” by the editors of Klutz Press ($10.95; book comes with a set of plastic measuring spoons); “Cook and Learn” by Beverly Veitch and Thelma Harms (Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, $17).