Top Tips for Entertaining Cooped-Up Kids in the Kitchen
May 7, 2020Many parents are finding themselves at home with their children right now. And, if there’s one thing we’ve learnt, it’s that inventing ways to keep the little ones lives enriched and entertained as they remain inside isn’t an easy feat.
At HelloFresh, we believe the kitchen is a great place to keep the kiddos entertained and educated, as well as introduce healthy eating habits.
Whether it is through introducing new foods (or sneakily re-introducing in those that previously got a big fat no) or training up a little sous chef, entertaining in the kitchen reduces screen time and is an opportunity to learn. Here are our top tips approved by our chefs for keeping kids entertained in the kitchen.
Taste Tests
A taste test is a great way to get kids excited about trying new foods. This educational activity can also double as lunch! An easy way to set up a kid’s taste test is using small ramekins or mini muffin tins.
There are multiple ways kids can learn and stay entertained with this trick. Start by asking your kids to identify foods that are salty, sour, sweet, spicy and bitter, and you’ve got yourself a science test!
Secondly, try to get your little ones to describe what they’re eating – just how creative can they be? This is a great trick to introduce more taste-related vocabulary, such as delicious, mouth-watering, bland, terrible, stale, unpleasant, unsavoury, and scrumptious.
Bake a Cake
Baking is an opportunity for children to learn something new and is a great bonding experience (albeit a messy one!)
Have a go at making these adorable mini carrot cakes. There are several ways for kids to get involved in the process, from mixing and taste testing the mixture to icing the finished cakes.
Get creative with snacks
These playful snack ideas will solve the issue of picky eaters, AND they’re fun to make – guaranteed entertainment right here.
Whether you’re on team sweet or savoury, these bear toasts are a sure-win come breakfast or snack time.
It’s all green everything for this snack, with the big turtles getting green apples as bodies and the kiddos, kiwis.
Train your Sous Chef
To us, the phrase ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ has never been true! Here are 7 tips from our Head Chef, Andre, on keeping kids busy in the kitchen by involving them in the cooking process. Asking them to do things makes the child feel important however small the task – just get them to pop on an apron and it will get them excited about cooking!
Build a Rainbow (on your plate!)
‘Eat the rainbow’ is a common piece of healthy eating advice, referring to eating a variety of fruit and vegetables. It introduces us to all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that we need. Gather a bunch of different coloured ingredients and have your kids assemble a rainbow and then, of course, eat it!
So there you have it! Our top tips for keeping cooped-up kids entertained in the kitchen. If you’re hungry for more creative ideas here is more information on safe ways for kids to help in the kitchen.