Cooking is a great family activity – it doesn’t just allow you to spend more time together as a family, but also educates kids about food: where it comes from, how it’s put together and how to create great flavour combinations.
If you’re looking for ideas as to how to get your kids more interested in spending time in the kitchen, here are a few ideas…
1. Involve them in preparing meals at home
When it comes to preparing meals at home, there are plenty of ways in which kids of all ages can get involved. From measuring and mixing to chopping and cleaning, just make sure it’s a relaxed process and that they don’t see it as a chore.
2. Take them to a cookery school
Here in Bristol, there are plenty of cookery classes designed for kids: the likes of Little Kitchen, The Good Cook School, Bordeaux Quay and Square Food Foundation are just some of the businesses offering classes and workshops designed specifically for children.
3. Introduce them to cooking-based games
Cooking shouldn’t be a chore – it should be fun. There are various games out there that help children to understand the process behind cooking and have fun at the same time, such as these online cooking games from Poki, which allow children to create a huge variety of different dishes in a fun environment.
4. Get growing
By showing children just where their food comes from, they’re more likely to appreciate the work that goes into preparing a meal. Create a patch just for them in their garden, where they can grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs – and have fun coming up with ideas together for how their ingredients can be used!
5. Involve them in meal planning
If you want your children to be more interested in food, involve them in the family meal planning. Encourage them to look through recipe books to find recipes that they like the look of, ask them to help you to write your shopping list, and take them with you when shopping, giving them their own list of ingredients to find for the week’s meals. By involving them in all aspects of food planning, preparation and cooking from a young age, it’s likely that they’ll start to see cooking as fun, rather than a chore.
*This post is written in collaboration with Poki