Keep ‘Em Busy in the Kitchen: A List of Ideas!

Trying to make dinner? Little one driving you a little nuts?

Here’s how to keep a toddler or preschooler busy in the kitchen:

Involve your child in any “spreading, pouring, slicing, whisking, squeezing, garnishing”…even if you don’t have any of that in your recipe, pull out the cream cheese, a spreader, and three graham crackers…get inventive.

I took this list from The Creative Curriculum for Infants & Toddlers:

• prepare finger food snacks- for now or later…cucumbers, toast strips, crackers for the base, chees, fruit, jelly or cottage chees for the top
• use icing spatula to spread apple jelly or other spreadable on bread, etc.
• stir together cereal/oatmeal ingredients; pour milk or maple syrup into meal
• scramble eggs in a bowl
• dip bread to make french toast
• scrub potatoes; mash potatoes
• make jello & stir
• use cookie cutters to make shapes in dough or jigglers or buscuits
• squeeze lemons oranges
• snap ends off green beans
• shell peas
• arrange food on plates

I added:

• use an apple corer for real fun- seriously, it’s wicked fun, dude
• fill the sink with water & soap
• have your toddler get the coffe pot ready for tomorrow
• make your martini— that was a joke….
• set table
• wipe table
• get forks, etc.
• take orders…like, go ask everyone what they want to drink milk or water?
• make frozen juice from concentrate
• turn music on in the other room and yell “dance party in the living room” – see if they fall for it
• wash fruit
• husk corn
• press buttons on microwave (3 minutes & edamame is done)-
• match lids & containers for you
• sort silverware
• stir or pour anything
• use a funnel to fill old jars
• gather ketchup, sauces, dressings etc.
• say sweetly and kindly…GO BUG DAD