Toddlers and preschoolers love to help at home! The kitchen provides some wonderful opportunities to learn and explore their practical life skills.
Today on the blog, I am sharing my TOP 5 simple and fun kitchen activities for kids!
Choices:
Encourage your little one to make the choice for their snack! For example, would you like strawberries or blueberries? Cheese or hummus with your crackers?
Snack/Meal prep:
Encourage your child to help peel, chop, slice items (using child-safe utensils and adult supervision**) examples like fruit, help to peel hard boiled eggs, put nut, seed butter or butter on toast, fill silicone muffin cups with goldfish, fruit pieces, pour cereal and milk into their bowl.
Heading out to a picnic or for a drive? Have your little one help you pack their lunch and snacks, including choice of snacks, add utensils, napkins, etc.
Set the table:
A great practical life activity - items needed to set the table in a basket for example, like place mat and utensils.
Clean the table and surfaces:
Using a spray bottle and sponge/cloth, wipe the table and surfaces before and after meals and play, as well as handwashing!
Washing dishes:
With supervision, help to load and unload the dishwasher. Practice washing utensils in a bin with a soap pump, water pitcher or cup and even add a sorting items activity in this DIY utensils tray we made using a dollar store tray, printable utensils and utensils from IKEA.
These are some great ways to encourage practical life skills, independance and learning opportunities in the kitchen!
This was the inspiration for our August Handprints Discovery Box: IN THE KITCHEN which includes some of these activities and more including an Activity Guide for exploring in and beyond the box! Recommended for ages 3+, small parts*.
To order and learn more about our themed activity boxes for preschoolers, please visit us on Instagram @handprints_discoverybox
Find our "IN THE KITCHEN" box available now in our ETSY SHOP