My son has always been extremely interested in what I am doing in the kitchen. At around four months old, I would put him in his Upseat while I prepped, cooked, and ate dinner. By six months, he was eating snacks while watching me. By 12 months, he HAD to be watching me cook! Usually, my husband would have to hold him and stand right beside me so he could get the best view! At almost two years old, I now have the best sous chef!
Here are a few of my tips to get toddlers involved (while also keeping them safe) in the kitchen:
1. Get a toddler tower.
This is hands down one of the best purchases I have made for my toddler in the kitchen. We can easily move it around to the sink, fridge, or counter and he can see all the action! I had mine custom-made by a local Charleston woodworker!
2. Make it fun!
I bought these adorable mini cookie cutters that I let my son use to cut fruit into different shapes, like mickey, dinosaurs, flowers, etc! I will cut a thin piece of cantaloupe or melon, and then together we take the cutters to them. He loves doing this, and he eats a healthy snack every time! Win-win for me!
3. Get an egg slicer.
Toddlers can open and close an egg slicer to cut up their fruit and veggie snacks. It is a super fun way to also help them build fine motor skills while getting them involved in the kitchen!
4. Let them be on trash duty.
I know this sounds absolutely insane, but my son LOVES to help me clean up in the kitchen by throwing away anything he can! Our trash can is one of the motion-activated ones. I will give him a few scraps of trash, and just ask him to throw it away! He even stays by the trash can until it closes, and then comes back to see if I need “help” throwing anything else away!
5. Unload the dishwasher.
My little guy is the best helper with unloading the dishwasher. We have a silverware organizer in our drawer. I usually take out the silverware basket, and let him sort while I put away anything fragile! He loves being mommy’s helper!
There are so many ways you can get your toddler involved in the kitchen, but these are just a few of my favorites! It takes lots of patience at first, but it is so worth it to have little kitchen helpers!
