Discover 43 smart cooking activities for preschoolers to combat picky eating and nurture lifelong healthy eating habits.

Squeezing an orange Montessori practical life activity is an easy beginning exercise in at-home food preparation for kids that helps strengthen the hand.

Are you looking for something new to make with your children? I love making Gnocchi with Otto (36 months). I set the activity on his low cooking table so he can reach everything he needs. Bringing the activity down to the child's level is a good idea if possible. It tells the child 'this is your baking'. The child takes the lead and I am there to help and guide when needed. Gnocchi is great for children who like to get their hands dirty and for those who love play-dough. The Gnocchi dough…

than Practical Life activities right in your kitchen. Before you get started, though, you are going to need some children's cooking utensils.

I am always looking for new and interesting snack ideas for my children. In case you are too, here are eight snack and food prep trays that we've used recently. Jam on Pikelets - spreading strawberry jam onto pikelets. We often use crackers for spreading activities so it's nice to use pikelets for something different. Melon Balls - my three-year-old finds this difficult but it's worth the challenge. We use a small melon baller and some cocktail picks to make it easier to share. I've cut the…

The title is slightly misleading as all of these snacks have had some adult involvement, however once they are presented to the child of around three, they may be able to do the rest themselves. Presenting snacks like this allows the child to develop practical life skills like peeling, slicing and spreading. These activities can also help develop fine motor skills. Here are a few snacks that we've enjoyed this week: Fruit Kababs - using cocktail sticks (sharp one end, blunt the other) the…

Practical life for kids in the kitchen begins with allowing the child to participate in the functions/work of the home and preparing the environment.

Kids Cooking Utensils--The best tools for getting kids to help in the kitchen--even toddlers! My kids LOVE to help out in the kitchen, and hey, if they

This morning I took a couple of pictures of Otto cooking eggs. At 20 months he is able to crack the eggs into a bowl, I will fish out any eggshells, he can add some herbs and pour the egg onto the hot plate. He can stir the eggs but needs help spooning the eggs in to a bowl before he sets the table and eats the eggs. There is no need for him to be a bystander and watch me cook. We tidy up together. We will make pancakes on the hotplate once he is able to flip with...

We have so many friends with toddlers and I'm always thinking of really easy and practical activities they can do around the home. Bananas! Most children love bananas and as they are soft they are so good for a young child to cut and use for some practical life activities! Peeling banana slices from 12 months. Also see this post about Peeling a Banana the Montessori way which shows a couple of different ways to help a young child peel a banana. Slicing a banana with a crinkle cutter at…