Making Dinner a Family Event
Dining together is a traditional way families connect, and often the central part of holiday traditions. As part of our November Challenge, we encourage you to find new ways to connect with your family through food, starting with inviting everyone to play a part in meal planning and preparation. There are many wonderful things to enjoy and time to share before sitting down at the table!
Children who get involved in preparing food learn math and reading skills, creativity, safety and responsibility, while acquiring an awareness of the natural world. An added bonus—if you want your kids to know how to prepare dinner for the whole family when they’re older, cooking with them while they’re little will be a huge payback later on.
For younger kids, giving them simple tasks in the kitchen is the perfect way to get them involved. Have them crack a few eggs, measure some dry ingredients, or stir everything together in a bowl. Older kids can help choose recipes and assist with more advanced tasks. Better yet, make a family trip to the grocery store of local farmer’s market! This will expose them to fresh and nutritious food and learn the shopping and planning aspects of preparing a meal.
Need some idea on what they can help make? Head to your local bookstore and pick up some kid friendly cookbooks like Kids in the Kitchen: Book and Kit (which even comes with goodies like a chef’s hat, apron, rolling pin, whisk and more!), Betty Crocker’s Kids Cookbook, and Kids’ Fun & Healthy Cookbook. All books are packed with easy to follow recipes for you and your kids to have a finger lickin’ good time in the kitchen.
Getting your family involved in cooking will not only deepen your family’s appreciation for food, but it can help strengthen family bonds. So, what are you waiting for?! Grab the family and get cooking!
Does your family help in the kitchen? Tell us the different ways they pitch in by leaving a comment below.
