COOKING WITH

Put them to work!

Keep little hands busy with these kid-friendly tasks.

Mash Kids are oft en stronger than they look. Harness that power for your potatoes and get them mashing. Choose a masher with a sturdy handle and ensure potatoes are cooled and contained in a bowl with a rubber or silicone base to prevent it from slipping on the counter. Scrub Kids aren’t known for their love of cleaning, but most little ones enjoy the task of scrubbing potatoes or beets (for a few minutes, anyway). Chop Hard plastic knives with blunt tips, serrated edges and rubber grip handles are perfect for newly minted chefs and will help kids cut food with confi dence. Grate Worried about grating hands along with the cheese? A rotary grater—the kind with the spinning handle that you oft en see at restaurants— will help ease the stress. Juice Why squeeze a lemon when you can use a citrus juicer? Th is is an ideal job for younger helpers who may not be ready to tackle more fi ne motor–skilled tasks like chopping and grating. Peel A peeler with a learning ring (your kid slips their fi nger in there) ensures the proper holding and pulling technique that is crucial for perfectly peeled carrots. Mix and measure Let your master chef take the reins when measuring out dry ingredients. It will reinforce fractions and open up interesting conversations, like the diff erence between baking soda and baking powder. Watch the time Cooking requires a degree of precision. Teach them about numbers, timing and patience (!) with a wind-up timer.

T O O L S O F T H E T R A D E

7 KID-FRIENDLY GADGETS TO GET YOUR MINI SOUS CHEF READY TO START COOKING

NEST MEASURING CUP AND SPOON SET $17, NEATSPACE.CA

TA C K L E R E C I P E S A S A T E A M W I T H E A C H M E M B E R TA K I N G O N A R O L E— P E E L E R , C H O P P E R , S T I R - F R Y E R . T H E M E A L W I L L C O M E T O G E T H E R FA S T A N D E V E R Y O N E W I L L F E E L L I K E T H E Y ’ V E C O N T R I B U T E D .

OPINEL LE PETIT CHEF KITCHEN VEGETABLE PEELER $31, FRUUGO.CA

JOIE UPTOWN WAVY CHEESE KNIFE $4, KITCHENSTUFFPLUS.COM SKIP HOP DOUBLE-UP STEP STOOL $26, SNUGGLEBUGZ.CA