Simple, easy changes to set up your kitchen for cooking with toddlers. From the right kids kitchen utensils, to layout suggestions so your child can become an independent and confident kitchen helper.

This isn't simply about cooking.  Nor is it most only cooking elaborate meals with your toddler. Essentially, it's about establishing a infinite where your child tin can be independent, confident and acquire real life skills.  You lot tin exercise as little or every bit much as you want, as there are some easy changes you tin make to your kitchen for information technology to be toddler friendly. With the right kids cooking utensils, you'll accept a little chef in no fourth dimension.Simple, easy changes to set up your kitchen for cooking with toddlers. From the right kids kitchen utensils, to layout suggestions so your child can become an independent and confident kitchen helper.

We did a few toddler cooking classes when Miles was two (now 3 and one/two) and he helped a little flake in the kitchen.  At present he gets his ain drinks, preps some of his snacks and helps with even more cooking activities. The bulk of his progress happened after he started at a Montessori school this past Fall.

He's been doing a lot of work at school on practical life skills; infusing those skills at home has been life changing.  We attended dissimilar workshops at the school on how to incorporate Montessori at home and learned a lot, which helped take our kitchen to the adjacent level.

As my second son Ellis is nearing two, I am setting out to create an even better area for them to exist independent in the kitchen. This post is not about making your dwelling house or child follow a completely Montessori philosophy.  But sharing the astonishing benefits and tricks we have learned on how to create an environment with the correct kitchen tools, where your kids learn how to be cocky sufficient.

Possibly my excitement is the lazy mom in me speaking. Information technology's divine when Miles goes and gets his own milk without me helping him. But that'due south okay. 🙂 Because he is also learning, growing and becoming an amazing fiddling human being. So it's a win win.

Just imagine- yous are engrossed in an action- maybe information technology'south playing a game with one of your kids, doing laundry, or prepping dinner etc. A Netflix marathon as well counts. Your toddler says they are thirsty. Instead of having to stop what you are doing to grab a glass and the water, your daughter grabs her glass and bullpen from the refrigerator to set her own drink.   Now multiply that a few times a day and add snacks. Ah-mazing.  You also start to remember that existence a parent isn't just about being a servant.

"The commencement aim of the prepared environment is, as far as information technology is possible, to render the growing child independent of the developed."
Maria Montessori,The Secret of Childhood

Our toddlers are completely capable of doing so much. And they evidence such amazing pride at being able to dominate a task. But they must be given an environment and materials that assistance them exist successful. Child sized piece of furniture, or ability to admission difficult areas, as well every bit access to kid sized tableware and food items.

I'm creating a total independent kitchen surface area for my boys when we motility into our new house. I'll be certain to share that projection when completed!  Even without much space in our condo, we've adapted a few areas that are just for the boys' stuff.  For now, I'll share the tools we have found virtually helpful and some ideas for setting up your kitchen in a fashion that is toddler friendly.

Basic Kitchen Tools

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  • Glass pitchers with lids
  • Child sized cups, plates and silverware
  • Child accessible cabinet, drawer or both
  • Learning tower or footstep stool
    • Check out this mail service on how to pick your perfect toddler learning tower!

Simple, easy changes to set up your kitchen for cooking with toddlers. From the right kids kitchen utensils, to layout suggestions so your child can become an independent and confident kitchen helper. The offset thing yous want to do is practice pouring and drinking out of a drinking glass. Pouring is 2nd nature to us- but it is a skill that has to be taught.  They can pour too fast and spill or pour too much and overflow.

Nosotros can't expect our toddlers to become in the fridge and pull out a gallon of milk or Brita container of h2o.  That is where these pitchers come in.  They are the perfect size- we accept ane for milk and 1 for water. Placed at a lower shelf in the fridge so it's accessible.

Child sized glasses. I know you are probably nervous most buying glass.  As was I.  This is why they are better: they don't tip over equally hands as plastic!  Yous will actually accept less accidents with glass.  I got these on Amazon and they've been perfect.  You tin can start with an fifty-fifty smaller loving cup if your child is eighteen months- 2 years.

Simple, easy changes to set up your kitchen for cooking with toddlers. From the right kids cooking utensils, to layout suggestions so your child can become an independent and confident kitchen helper. Accessible shelves or drawer and low hooks for towels.  Simply like the pitchers in the fridge, you want your kid to exist able to get their spectacles by themselves. Assign them a drawer, cabinet or go child sized shelves to put in a corner of your kitchen. This is a super beautiful prepare upwards.

Information technology involves a little time and patience at the beginning- specially with the spills that are a  necessary part of learning. Teach them how to pour, how to clean up, where everything is, and become over the process a few times with them.

Easy Food Prep

  • Chopper
  • Small cut board
  • Apple tree cutter
  • Storage containers for cereal and snacks

Before getting out a cookbook, kids can commencement preparing their snacks or very simple foods.  In the aforementioned place you proceed their cups, add other tableware and cooking tools.  Consider adding their snacks also- fruit, goldfish etc.

We currently have their snacks up high, and so Miles gets his stool to pull them down. This is something that we are changing for sure.  He is almost iv, only our almost ii year erstwhile cannot accomplish this task withal.  For him to acquire the skills, he has to have them at an accessible tiptop.

Simple, easy changes to set up your kitchen for cooking with toddlers. From the right kids cooking utensils, to layout suggestions so your child can become an independent and confident kitchen helper.Small plates and bowls that are the perfect size for their niggling easily and containers to store snacks and cereal.  By incorporating all of this, your kid can independently go their bowl or plate for snack or prepare themselves a bowl of cereal.

Have it a stride further by including a cutting board and chopper. Of form, yous must get-go teach this several times and supervise more closely than the previous activities. They can chop an apple tree, cut a bagel into pieces or cut the tops off their strawberries.

Recipe Cooking

  • Kids' kitchen knives
  • Measuring cups and spoons– vivid and conspicuously legible numbers
  • Whisk, spoon, bowls
  • Silicone baking mat
  • Flour sifter
  • Cookie cutters
  • Apron

Simple, easy changes to set up your kitchen for cooking with toddlers. From the right kids cooking utensils, to layout suggestions so your child can become an independent and confident kitchen helper.This is where the fun happens. Instead of setting them upwards with a toy or activity while you cook, you lot can spend the fourth dimension together! Bang-up for bonding, developing social skills, post-obit directions, learning math through measurements and the importance of details.

How many pretend kitchens are out there?! They love playing pretend, particularly in niggling kitchens. Allowing them to use real kitchen tools and make real food helps them demonstrate that they are capable footling humans.

Miles helped me make oatmeal muffins to take to his school and the pride was just bursting off of him.  Before fifty-fifty maxim hello to his teacher, he exclaims "I cooked these muffins!" (Full recipe and tips)

The best ways for them to help are pouring ingredients, assist with measuring, stirring and bones cutting. Lastly, this is a neat book to get you started with lots of age advisable recipes!

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