Depends on the skills of the child, but measuring, adding ingredients to the pan or bowl, stirring, kneading dough, rolling dough, cutting cookies and licking the spoon indeed

I get my daughter involved with all my cooking excluding the cutting. I’ve had her kneeding bread, cutting out scones, icing cup cakes, stirring pots. All supervised of course.

Once you measure ingredients, she could add them to the bowl. Stirring mixtures. Icing the finished products. Licking out the bowl and any used utensils……that’s the best bit of helping lol

Cracking eggs, they love that but to avoid any major mess or waste do it on a baking tray or similar so you can pick out the shells, because there will be some and still use the egg and tip it in the batter etc. They love measuring out flour etc and mixing, all makes them feel so grown up.

I get my 3 1/2 to add cut up vegetables in the pot for me and I also get her to stir the pot with full close supervision at all times.

Stirring the batter and cupcake decorating!

measuring, pouring, stirring, spreading, sprinkling

I would make food that is mixed with a spoon, preferrably wooden. A word of warning if electric beaters, don’ t beat them before putting liquid in the bowl. The powder will drift up into the motor. Done once too often the motor will develop a burning smell. When adding dry ingredients do so slowly to avoid it being spread up into the air as they could go in the motor too. Biscuits or Slices are good options to make with children. Make sure understand that they must stay out the cooking area before you open the oven. Better still if there is a safe space right away from the stove etc., if you need to cover your space it if probably safer. The 3 year old mya become confused why sometimes she can go in the are of the stove, oven etc and not other times.

Stirring, adding ingredients that you have already measured out, passing you ingredients, licking the spoon (a favourite!), for biscuits pressing shapes into the dough, decorating the top of a cake or cupcakes, deciding which ingredient to add to a dish first. It helps her to feel important if she wears an apron.

Thanks for the great ideas ladies

oh also i always make cupcakes with the kids and sit them up at the table and decorate them, have a variety of toppings and they pick and mix! great way to spend the afternoon. you could try getting those mini marshmallows, m and m’s, variety of sprinkles, choc chips, fruit etc for toppings

Oh yes I have a 3 year old who wants to do everything. I swear my child can mix something for an hour, I am not even allowed to be within a meter radius when she is stirring…. Anyway I do all the dangerous things like oven & stove, electric beater, knives but everything else she likes to do. I would suggest try & get ingredients measured & all ready in plastic containers before you start, then it’s as simple as tripping them in as we have a problem with hands going into the flour container grabbing measurements herself.

My 3 year old son loves cooking. His favourite task is to chop mushrooms (with his own kids knife). I also get him to help adding ingredients to the bowl for cakes and slices etc, and for salads. He also loves to stir things and to crack eggs (with guidance).

lots of little things and it’s up to you. obviously no dangerous things involving heat. let them stir or pour, if you don’t mind the mess

i love cooking with my 3 year old daughter..it makes her interested in the food ..and she eats with a pride that i made it mommy..i let her arrange her salad plate or nuts ..let her mix dry ingredients ,mash the potatoes,set the table or help me get the things which are at her reach…and just have fun!!!!!!!!

I let my daughter who is almost 3 add ingredients and mix things, sprinkle herbs and spices, put cookies on the tray for the oven (I adore the odd shapes she makes them into when she tries to squish them down a bit), decorate cookies (lots of fun!).