Kids are heading back to school, summertime is coming to an end, the days are getting shorter, and the time each day to spend with the family is too. Mealtime is a great way to spend quality family time together, but could be extended even further by including meal prep time as part of your family time together. The whole family working to get a meal on the table not only extends mealtime togetherness, but can be a valuable tool for teaching them healthy food habits, vital S.T.E.M. skills (when’s the last time you halved a recipe and used your fractions?), as well as developing fine motor skills.

Here are 8 ways to get your kids excited about cooking together:

Make Time

Some days and weeks it’s hard to find the time to get it all done. Don’t we all wish we could squeeze a few more hours into the day? Start with one meal on the weekend to involve the whole family in the meal preparation so that there isn’t a rush to do anything else. As everyone gets more comfortable and the kids hone their skills, add more meal prep together to the week.

 Start Them Young

How many times in your life, did your parents shoo you out of the kitchen? Letting the kids hang out in the kitchen helps them feel comfortable in that environment. Get them involved early by allowing them to play with kitchen tools that don’t present a hazard like mixing spoons, measuring cups and plastic bowls to keep them entertained during meal prep time. As they grow older start assigning them with age appropriate tasks in the meal preparation.

Meal Plan Made Easy

Come up with ideas together about what to make for the weekly meals. The internet is full of great ideas and recipes! They don’t necessarily have to be geared specifically to children either. Create a Pinterest Board of meals that the family would like to try making together. Allowing the kids to have a say in the menu choices might encourage trying new foods.

Let’s Go Shopping

Is it easier to get the shopping done without the kids tagging along? That’s almost always a quick YES! Leaving them out of this step of the meal prep means you might be missing the opportunity to teach them more about where there food comes from, or discovering and trying new foods. Have them choose one new item for a meal that week (fruit, veggie, meat, etc). Make a game of it to increase interest like asking them to all pick something green, or something that starts with the letter S, etc.

Tickle Their Taste Buds

Talk about all of the ingredients being used to make the meal. Does it have a distinct smell, what color is it, how will it change when we cook it, etc. are great questions to ask. Encourage them to taste the ingredients as you are using them, and the dish as it is prepared, when appropriate. Chicken can be seasoned in so many ways, creating delicious meals. Sample a variety of seasonings for cooking chicken and come up with your own family seasoning blend or favorite marinade.

Tools & Tasks

Turn over the tools or provide them with their own tools (age appropriate for safety!). Have a gadget exploration night with fun things like a lemon juicer, crinkle cutter, avocado slicer, etc. to encourage interest in new foods. This is also a great opportunity to teach them about how to use tools to make sure they are preparing food and cooking it to the proper safe temperatures. Sneak some math into the equation when cooking chicken and have them read the instant read thermometer to figure out how many degrees more the chicken needs to cook in order to reach at least 165°F and teach them why that temperature is important.

Gardening Fun

There’s no better way to teach your kids about healthy food habits or the importance of knowing where your food comes from than growing your own food. Start simple with a flower pot of fresh herbs on your window sill or a potted tomato or pepper plant on your patio or porch. Tending and harvesting their own food might encourage them to try new foods too! To take the lesson even further, connect the farm to their table and talk about where other ingredients came from as you use them. While cooking your meal together with Springer Mountain Farms chicken, you can share with the kids that small family farms in Northeast Georgia provided the chicken for their dinner!

It’s Going To Get Messy

Expect a mess and be okay with it. It’s going to take time for them to become proficient with their new tasks and develop the skills needed to create a meal. Creating a positive experience and not worrying about the mess being made helps create a healthy learning environment. When they leave the nest, you’ll be confident in knowing that they will be able to take care of themselves when it comes to meal planning and preparation!

Nicole from Golden Grace Kitchen and Jess from Slice of Jess are both busy moms raising families too. They’ve provided two easy, wonderful recipes using ground chicken that are perfect for introducing kids to the kitchen.

Dairy Free Freezer Friendly Italian Chicken Meatballs from Golden Grace Kitchen

Grandma June’s Homestyle Chicken Meatloaf from Slice of Jess