Kid-Friendly Kitchen: Recipes for Kids

The more I make my kitchen kid-friendly, the more I can teach my own kids to take over the cooking tasks. Recipes for kids should include a couple of factors, the first of which is the recipe appeals to the children! They will like to eat it! The second factor I look for is that my kids can enjoy learning how to prepare or cook it as well.

Encouraging Cooking Kids

I’ve been slowly but surely teaching my son (now age 9) to cook, so we’ve been on the look out for great recipes for kids. The irony of this is that I don’t find I enjoy cooking now that I have picky eaters and not a lot of time! Here’s how I’m trying to encourage my kids to cook.

First, in my home I hope to encourage cooking by making the kitchen friendly. We have stools, we have easier-to-use pots and tools, and we have cookbooks that the kids can browse through.

Second, when I am cooking, I ask the kids to help. My kids (even my 21-month-old toddler) love to help crack eggs. Yes, it makes a mess on the counter, but if it helps the kids learn to take part in cooking, it will be okay.

I also ask my kids to help me choose menus. When my son contributes his opinions and preferences on the meals we will be eating, then he is more likely to eat without complaint. He likes to browse through kids’ recipe books, and even recipe books geared for adults. My five-year-old daughter also would love to choose the food we eat, but her selections seem to revolve around a limited few meals. We’re working on that.

Finally, now that my son is entering fifth grade, I will require him to take over the kitchen one night a week. I like that he can be “in charge. ” He likes that he can put me to work as his assistant.

Recipes for Kids

Below is the database of recipes for kids I’ve posted thus far on my site. These recipes are either ones the kids have learned to cook themselves, or that they simply love to eat. As such, some of them are rather simple! But I think it’s important to keep track of the simple things. How else can the little ones learn to get started on the simple, basic tasks?

(Links are to recipes or blog posts. If the title does not have a link yet, it is on its way.)

Breakfast Time

Granola

Oatmeal

Pancakes  | Learning about cooking with pancakes and picture books

Waffles

Snacks, Sides, and Lunches

“American” Fruit Salad

Dinners

Chicken Nuggets

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Broccoli

Macaroni and Cheese (the Real Thing)

Parmesan Chicken with (Fake) Marinara Sauce

Spaghetti with Sausage

“Winnie-the-Pooh” Chicken

Desserts

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Cake

See more ideas for Teaching Cooking Skills in Your Homeschool at the iHomeschool Network!