Cooking in the kitchen with TODDLERS..............

let them help you to clean kitchen, pow....

I think with toddlers I'd stick to letting them put together stuff more than recipe making. Like, get a plastic knife & spoon and let them make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches; maybe even cut them into shapes with cookie cutters after. Or give them a tray of already cut veggies & let them make salads.

If you are working on learning shapes. 1. Find a cookie cutter shaped like a circle,triangle,square. 2. Get a slice of cheese and cut out the shape using the cookie cutter. 3. Allow the toddler to spread butter on the bread with a plastic knife. 4. Let the toddler place the shape cut out from the cheese on the bread. 5. You put the bread in the oven. Your toddler will have toast with a shape on it for breakfast. When teaching colors get food coloring and add it to her milk. You can also read the book called Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss and get the green food coloring and make them green eggs and ham.

Let them make their own iced lollipops with coolaid, wooden stirrers and paper cups. Pour their own coice of flavors and colors into the cups , put a stirrer in each one, freeze them and when frozen tear off the paper cup and they have made their own iced lollies.

Expect a bit of a mess with this recipe, but your children will really enjoy getting a chance to take part in cooking, especially because they're cooking desserts. Let your toddler add ingredients, stir and most importantly HELP CLEAN UP! Cooking is a great way to introduce the concept of cleaning up after yourself. GUMMI BEAR BARS Ingredients: ¼ cup butter 4 cups miniature marshmallows 1 teaspoon vanilla 6 cups crispy rice cereal 1 cup gummi bear candies Step One: Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add marshmallows and cook for about 3 minutes until all marshmallows are melted. Step Two: Stir in vanilla. Remove pan from heat. Step Three: Stir in cereal and gummi bears. Press mixture into 13 by 9 inch pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Step Four: Cool for 30 minutes. Cut into bars. **Be sure to spray your cookie cutters with nonstick cooking spray so they don't get stuck!

Oh! that's fun having your kids in the kitchen and seen that they are interested in what you are doing. I also have my kid, he loves to be with me and watched what i am doing, but of course i can't let him face over the burner to see what i am cooking, i am fear he might get burned or some oil will spill on him. I think it is also fun to prepare salad and teach the kid how to do it. My kid loves salad, i let him be the one to pour the ingridients in the mixing bowl and let him mix it gently, then taste afterwards.

Here is a simple recipe: SWEET ½ cup yoghurt sultanas ¼ cup coconut fruits ½ cup puffed corn ½ cup apricot slice, sliced ¼ cup chopped dried apple SAVOURY ½ cup each soya crisps, peaz (extruded dried green peas), potato twists, rice crisps, soya chips, sultanas Toss ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Use as required. They will keep fresh for approximately 1 week—if they last that long. All the ingredients are generally available in health food shops and major supermarkets in the self-serve selection area. Use the quantities as a guide and include some of your toddler's favourites.

I couldn't tell you. My kids are not allowed in the kitchen when I'm cooking. For one it is way too small (the room is about 10x10 feet) and I have 4 kids--14 months, 4 1/2, 5 1/2 and almost 7. They just get in my way. Then I am busy constantly watching where they are all at because they aren't paying attention and they might fall and get hurt, burned, put their fingers on the cutting board (a favorite of my 4yo). I tried to let them help me make kolackies (like thumb print cookies with fruit filling in the middle). All they did was spill flour everywhere and take half the dough (which is a pain to make) and throw it at each other and try to eat it. I had to kick them out. I let my son watch me cook. he is 5 and interested in learning. He sits on the radiator and observes quietly asking only a few questions and is helpful with getting things out of lower cabinets and the fridge. The girls just dance around and annoy me but he listens and really wants to learn. Maybe someday when we have a bigger kitchen they can actually help.

I too had the same expirences as you had with your one and i used to ask him to get the cutlery items for me and he loves doing so and he even arranges all the utensils in a line way manner in the shelves and its funny item to be seen with them. Have fun.

I'm not sure where I first heard of this, but kraft foods web site http://kraftfoods.com has a great source. The tabs at the top has one called food and family. At the bottom of the page that opens is a link to a section called Kids Corner. Better yet, sign up for Food and Family and get a free cooking magazine from Kraft with recipes and kitchen and home ideas. There are 5 issues a year, one for each season and a holiday issue. If you indicate you have children you get the issue with a couple of pages that are directed at children either helping or doing some things by themself. I love it and have come up with great ideas and recipes for meals and parties and picnics.

try the chex cereal box recipe for muddy buddies. I think that is what they are called. It is chex mix covered in peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar. It Is really good. My boys do it all the time. I help occasionally to make sure they have the right measurements and push the right numbers on the microwave. I find if I measure it all out they do it on their own. They feel so proud and they want to share with everyone, extended family, neighbors. My mom in Cali has received planty of little goodie boxes over the last few years.

My kids love to help me in the kitchen.I tell them to line up the utensils in the shelves.They help me in giving cutlery, they would give me some vegetables from the fridge.One thing they will prepare is their squashes.They love to make it.Sometimes they even help me to clean the kitchen.Working with them is real fun.Even though they don't cook proper food but they always prepare the receipe of love.