Kids in the Kitchen: Teach 5 Life Skills & Love for Cooking

Cooking with children in the kitchen isn’t just a fun family activity – it’s also an invaluable way to develop independence and learn life skills. For young cooks, even the simplest tasks can be incredibly rewarding. Ready to start pouring, stirring, and learning?

Keep reading for easy children’s recipes, Montessori kitchen setup ideas, our top Montessori cooking tools, kids kitchen safety tips, and more!

Cooking Skills by Age

Build essential skills, emphasize safety, and improve your child’s cooking confidence for life! It’s surprisingly easy to apply Montessori principles in the kitchen, especially if you start at a young age. Just make sure to be watchful and support kids when it comes to safety. Here’s a general roadmap of what you should expect:

Ages 0-2: Observe and Play

  • Listen, watch, and observe from a safe distance
  • Touch and talk about shapes, colors, textures, or flavors
  • Imitate through play with plastic bowls and silicone utensils

Ages 3-6: Imitate and Assist

  • Peel by hand, mash soft foods, and cut with a plastic knife
  • Train fine motor skills by pouring, spreading, scooping, and tearing
  • Practice routines, like setting timers and hand-drying dishes

Ages 7-9: Measure and Experiment

  • Carefully grate cheese, peel vegetables, and use a paring knife
  • Practice stovetop safety while pouring, stirring, and flipping
  • Organize and clean by loading the dishwasher or sweeping

Ages 10-13: Multitask and Collaborate

  • Plan a menu, write a shopping list, and follow a recipe
  • Use timers, thermometers, and multiple measuring tools
  • With a steady hand, place foods in the oven or separate yolks

Ages 14+: Cook for Life

  • Read and follow complicated recipes (or create something new!)
  • Discover preferences for tools, appliances, and recipes
  • Plan, prepare, and clean up an entire meal independently

Montessori Kitchen Setup (You’ll Use for Years!)

There’s a huge market for Montessori cooking tools with no shortage of kitchen helper towers, chair-ladders, and safety knives for toddlers. Some parents even choose to build a fully functional toddler kitchen with tiny sinks and mini hot plates. Don’t get overwhelmed by all your options!

Whether you welcome kids into ‘your’ kitchen or create a culinary space just for them, we recommend stocking up on versatile appliances that you can use for life. The best appliances for children’s kitchens are simple, safe, and scale to match their skill level.

With the right tools and a bit of creativity, you can turn your kitchen into a nurturing, safe space where learning and cooking go hand in hand:

Small Rice Cooker

Rice is one of the easiest recipes to get started with Montessori cooking – just grab your rice cooker! Measuring is ultra-simple with the included rice cup and matching water lines inside the pot. Plus, the small 4-cup rice cooker fits perfectly in a mini Montessori kitchen.

Curious how Montessori cooking works in action? Watch this mom and her 3-year-old make a meal together using the Aroma rice cooker.

With the press of a button, kids can cook something delicious and build up their confidence. As young chefs grow up and expand their skills, the conversation can shift to calculating serving sizes, multi-tasking with multiple timers, and experimenting with whole grains.

Aroma recommends: 4-Cup Pot-Style Rice Cooker

 

Glass Air Fryer

Many Montessori parents recommend starting with clear bowls and dishes so that kids can watch the entire process. Transparent glass also improves visibility while pouring and stirring, which might minimize messes. With Aroma’s glass air fryer, children can set the timer and see progress – the perfect way to check hypotheses and adjust as needed.

Aroma recommends: 360Crispy Glass Air Fryer

 

Indoor Electric Grill

With parent support, children are often ready to start grilling around age 7. Quesadillas and paninis are a fun way to start because there’s little risk of splattering oil in the pan. Raised grill marks on the indoor electric grill pan also help teach patience and fine-motor skills planning because kids can see a visible pattern of where they flipped the food and how long it was left there to cook.

Aroma recommends: 2.5-Quart Whatever Pot®

 

Rice Cooker & Food Steamer

Growing up and unlocking more skills? It’s fun to press buttons! Look for a digital rice cooker with automated cooking modes, a food steamer basket, and a delay timer to start planning ahead. Cook rice and steam sides all at once! An 8-cup appliance is big enough to cook for the family, but not too oversized to overwhelm.

Aroma recommends: Best-Selling Digital Rice Cooker

 

5 Easy Children’s Recipes to Try (with a supervising adult to support and guide!)

Support learning and life skills at every age with kid-friendly recipes and safe tools. It takes a little trust (and probably some extra clean-up!) but cooking early and often is one of the best ways to develop independence and a healthier relationship with food.

Aroma’s electric indoor grill pan, digital rice cooker, food steamer, and glass air fryer aren’t just appliances – they’re gateways to lifelong creativity and confidence in the kitchen.