Teaching kids to cook for themselves is an amazing way to foster independence while encouraging them to try new foods and flavors. Here are the top Essential Culinary Skills all grade schoolers should know — plus a free printable safety tip sheet!
Grade School Culinary Skills
My kids have been helping in the kitchen since they were very small and now that they are in grade school, they’re working on mastering some of the essential skills they’ll need for a lifelong love of cooking.
While there are plenty of Essential Culinary Skills one can perfect in a lifetime, there’s no need for you (or your kids) to become overwhelmed. Below I’ve assembled a list of Essential Culinary Skills for kids as young as 3 or 4 years old all the way up to ages 9 or 10. Lets get started:
Washing Produce
Washing produce is a great first task for kids as young as 3 or 4 years old. Give them a produce brush, set them up at the sink and let them rinse, rinse rinse those veggies. Preschoolers can get pretty into their work so I recommend putting them in an apron and keeping a few extra towels on-hand.
This is a great way to get the youngest kids comfortable in the kitchen, following directions and handling food. You may be surprised how enthused they are about sampling some of the foods once they’ve handled them.
In addition to vegetable brushes, preschoolers and kindergarteners also love a salad spinner, so if you have one, by all means let them try it!
Using a Peeler
Once your child has mastered washing produce, its time to move on to prep work. Using a peeler is a great way to introduce the concept of using a sharp blade. Be sure your child is holding the peeler properly and supervise closely until they get the hang of it. I recommend starting with carrots, since they are easier to grip than other fruits and veggies like potatoes and apples.
Basic Knife Skills
Using a knife properly one of the absolute foundations of Essential Culinary Skills — when I was in culinary school, we spent the first few months almost exclusively learning proper cutting techniques. This is also one of the skills many folks struggle with most.
While I rarely advocate purchasing “special” kitchen tools for your kids, I make an exception for knives. When you first introduce knife skills to your children, I recommend starting with kid-safe plastic knives (like the ones we have, from Curious Chef). They honestly don’t cut very well but are a good, safe option when children are first learning how to hold a knife, where to place their fingers, etc.
Once your kids are really comfortable cutting with the plastic knives (and understand proper safety techniques), it’s time to introduce a sharper blade. Once again, it can be really helpful to start with a knife designed just for kids. We absolutely love the Le Petite Chef Knife Set from Opinel. The knife features a true sharp, stainless steel blade in a size that is appropriate for small hands. A special ring integrated into the handle reinforces proper finger position and rocking movements with the blade. Even better, the set includes a finger guard for the other hand — this genius tool not only protects little fingers from the blade, it also reinforces the proper curled finger technique that chefs use (and regular people often struggle to replicate).
Using a Can Opener
Talk about an essential skill! It always amazes me how many kiddos (even a few teenage babysitters we’ve had) have yet to master the manual can opener. This one can take some practice but kids will be so proud once they get it!
Making Dressings and Sauces
Letting kids assist in making homemade dressings and sauces is a great way to help them build their palate. Dressings are a particularly good starting place because they tend to involve a variety of herbs and spices as well as building-block flavors like sour and sweet. The more kids are allowed to experiment with different flavors and ingredients, the more comfortable they will become with tasting foods and determining how to balance flavors (for example, by adding salt to a bland dish or a squirt of lemon to add brightness).
Cooking at the Stove
Cooking at the stove is something that should be done with very close supervision until your children are old enough (and mature enough) to start working independently. My son (who is 5) is still my “helper” at the stove, while my very mature 8-year old is starting to use the stove with on her own — with only loose supervision.
Before inviting kids to work at the stove, be sure to review safety procedures like how and when it’s appropriate to light the burners, where we do (and don’t) put our hands, and what we do with hot pans.
Start with simple recipes like grilled cheese or scrambled eggs — these simple recipes have minimal ingredients and preparation steps. Plus kids love them!
There are so many benefits to cooking with your kids and they are certain to use the skills for many years to come!
Free Safety Tips Printable
To help keep everyone safe, I’ve also created a simple Kids Kitchen Safety Tips sheet with important reminders for staying safe in the kitchen. Download your free copy below and post it on your fridge or another prominent location in your kitchen.
