Basic cooking skills for young children

Here are a few skills you might want to teach your young child while they are at home: many of which can be done in play without needing a finished product...

  • Buttering a slice of bread.
  • Cracking eggs by tapping the centre of the egg over the rim of a small bowl, and then using thumbs to pull the two halves apart.
  • Decorating fairy cakes or biscuits – spreading on the icing butter or just adding the sprinkles or other toppings.
  • Kneading and rolling out dough using a rolling pin.
  • Cutting shapes out using cookie cutters.
  • Using a sieve – by holding over a larger bowl and gently shaking.
  • Cutting soft fruit or vegetables, for example, a banana, with a non-sharp knife.
  • Crushing biscuits for bases or non-cook chocolate recipes – in a plastic bag with a rolling pin.
  • Rubbing in butter and flour for crumble.
  • Crushing garlic in a garlic press. Greasing and lining cake tins.
  • Mashing bananas with the back of a fork for banana bread/cake. Mashing potato with a potato masher.
  • Peeling vegetables with a vegetable peeler