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One of my favorite ways Hunter and I spend time together is in the kitchen.  We started young normally doing some kind of baking (these bean ball treats were a big favorite).  He would sit on the counter by the food processor and we’d prep away.  I’d let him pour whatever I measured out into the bowl and we’d bake together.  Remember this little guy at 19 months?  More of his baking cuteness from this post.

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Now that he’s getting closer to 3 (in May!) he can do so much more.  Pretty much anytime he sees me working on something in the kitchen (which is often, do sure do love to cook) he starts pulling a chair in to help me prep.  I just love it.  Here are 8 of of my favorite ways Hunter helps me in the kitchen.

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chopping soft foods

He’ll use his kid table knife and dice up whatever I give him.  Whatever is semi-soft makes it much more fun for him since he can actually dice it (tofu, bananas, melons, pear, avocado, etc).  He’s also designated the small wood cutting boards as his – they’re just mini versions of the ones I use.

IMG_4873measuring ingredients

This one is usually messy, but the more kiddos practice the better their precision for scooping and pouring gets. 

mixing ingredients

It goes along with measuring – once the ingredients are together you’ve gotta mix them.  And just like with measuring, mixing skills and not being super crazy with it get better with practice.

rolling out dough

It may look like a mini rolling pin, but it’s actually a wood muddler for mojito making.  Perfect for little hands.

IMG_4962pressing out dough

We made crackers and after rolling the dough out, Hunter worked on making nice smooth sides along it.

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flipping pancakes (with help!)

This one is new – we’re working on getting the whole quick flip with the wrist but he’s getting better!

spiralizing veggies

I recently pulled my spiralizer out of the attic and boy did Hunter love helping with this one.  He cranked it while I added a little pressure so that the zucchini would continue to push through.  Since the spiralizer has sharp blades it’s one to be used with caution!

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washing dishes

When you make a mess, it must be cleaned up, right?!  We were on an Ikea run and he really wanted to pick something out so I let his choose his own scrubbing brush for himself.  He went with blue.  Good choice since we didn’t have that color at home yet.  He’s actually pretty great at scrubbing dishes clean.

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Sometimes I’m in a rush or cooking something that needs my full attention so I can’t have him help.  In those cases if he still really wants to be involved I’ll have him watch, but normally he understands that the stove/oven is hot and he’ll get an opportunity the next time.  I love the excitement he gets to be in the kitchen with me.  Start em young and foster a love for cooking!

Do your kids cook with you?  How do they love to help in the kitchen?

Heather

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Heather

Hi! I’m Heather, the creator of Fit Mama Real Food, cookbook author, nutrition coach, group fitness instructor, wife, and mom of four. I’m so glad you are here!

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