cooking with a toddler

[duzzlightyearsmum]

My DS is 2.5 and very good with his hands and really enjoys helping to make cakes and things. I would like to increase the amount he 'helps out' in the kitchen but just wondering what is reasonable to expect him to be able to do?!

I guess anything that's safe. My 3yo dd 'helps' sometimes, but obviously I keep her well away from sharp knives, the oven and boiling water. She likes to wash vegetables, help wash up unbreakable stuff, cut out biscuits etc, stir cake mix, and she loves cutting up mushrooms with a regular dinner knife. She likes playing with our digital scales as well. When I make pancakes at the weekend, I let her stand on a chair next to me at the worktop (away from the hot pan) and I make her a mini pancake to practise flipping over in her toy frying pan, and chopping up with her little knife and fork. Hope some of those ideas help!

Can you get him a little table and his own washing up bowl so he can wash any non breakables like plastic cups etc? spoons etc

as for cake making you can buy those safety stand things for the kitchen that raises them up to worktop height in a much safer way than a step stool, at 2.5 he shouldn't able to rub butter into flour and stir things in I would expect but it really depends on how dextrous he is.

you cam get some fantastic cook books for kids from places like amazon

DS (2.8) has been making scrambled egg in a pot with my gran since he was just over 2 I was worried he would burn himself but she had taught him over the months since he turned 2 to stand next to the hob without touching and then moved on to stirring. He has never had any accidents so I have also started letting n help flip pancakes he can put cakes in the oven (but not out) and stir soup with my help.

I think it's ok to let him help with hot things too as long as you have time to give them 100% of your attention it's great for them to learn. Just don't do it when your running around doing a million things and cant constantly watch them.