Toddlers love to be included in the fun of cooking meals and desserts for the family. Cooking teaches your toddler a number of important skills, including counting, measuring and fine motor control. Mixing up meals and desserts can even have an impact on picky eaters. You may notice that your toddler quickly gobbles down food he or she helps prepare. You will need to start slowly when assigning tasks your toddler can complete. From there, you can add on new tasks as your toddler’s motor skills and understanding increases.
Grease Pans
Toddlers can practice their fine motor skills by greasing your baking dishes with oil or butter. Place a small amount of oil or butter on a paper towel and show your kiddo how to swipe it from side to side to coat the pan. Instruct your toddler to check for any missed areas while explaining the reason for greasing the pan. Do not forget to have your toddler shake a bit of flour over the top of the greased surface to complete this important step.
Crack Eggs
Although you might view egg cracking as a step better suited for older kids, the viral video of the toddler expertly completing this task might change your mind. You will need to teach your toddler to gently tap the egg on a flat surface before pulling the shell apart. You can have your tot crack the eggs into a separate container to keep shells out of your mix. Toddlers tend to master this process fairly quickly, but keep a few rags and extra eggs on hand just in case.
Pour Ingredients
As you measure ingredients, have your toddler pour each one into the mixing bowl. You can discuss the differences between each of the measurements to facilitate understanding of the math required for cooking. If you need several cups of a specific ingredient, you can also work counting into the process. Your toddler will also learn about ingredient properties by the way the mixtures splash into the bowl and combine together.
Stir Batter
You can help your toddler quickly develop good fine motor skills by mixing up the ingredients. Teach your toddler different mixing skills, like folding the ingredients together gently or mixing everything up vigorously. Use a high-sided mixing bowl to keep the ingredients inside while your toddler masters his or her mixing skills. You can also have your toddler help hold the electric mixer or knead thick dough by hand as needed.
Slice Fruit
Toddlers can use butter knives to chop through soft fruit you need for your dishes. You may need to lightly prepare the fruit by slicing off big chunks that your toddler can cut down to size. Reinforce kitchen safety skills by having your toddler cut the fruit up on a cutting board set on top of a kitchen towel. You may need to direct your toddler to hold the knife or cut correctly, depending on his or her starting technique.