Although we have involved Immy in the kitchen since she was small, Dad 101 and I have been recently looking for recipes that provide her with the opportunity to take more ownership and responsibility for overseeing the entire cooking process and to learn to respect rather than fear some of the more cautionary elements in the kitchen – like using knives and cooking on the stove.
We have started off with a simple ham and cheese omelette, a fabulous beginner’s recipe that involves a number of kitchen processes that are perfectly manageable for a five year old – beating, slicing, grating and frying.
Lightly beating the eggs and a little milk with a fork.
Waiting for the pan to heat up and a little butter to melt, all ingredients prepared and ready.
The eggs are in. Then the ham and cheese added.
The lid goes on until the egg is mostly set. Then a helping hand from Mum or Dad to flip the omelette for a few seconds. Ta-da! Breakfast is served.
I have a feeling that ham and cheese omelettes might just be appearing on the menu at our house on Easter morning!
How are you helping your child to learn to cook independently? Do you have a simple recipe to share that works well for budding junior chefs?
Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
Read the comments or scroll down to add your own: