Plan a trip to the library or local bookstore for stories on holiday traditions and recipes. In many families, holiday cooking has been limited to helping to bake or decorate cookies and treats. However, children can participate in every aspect of holiday cooking from meal planning to shopping, preparing foods, and setting the table. Tasks should be age-appropriate with supervision provided as needed, depending on the job assigned and the age of the child. Select recipes that call for kneading, rolling, stirring, pounding, or grating.
Preschoolers also are capable of measuring ingredients, with a little help.
Age four is not too young to start teaching children more complex kitchen tasks such as cutting or chopping. Have them use a blunt plastic knife on a soft food until they understand how to use a knife properly. Mincher stresses that children should never be allowed to handle knives without close adult supervision. It's up to parents to exercise safety precautions and remind children about potential dangers. For stove top cooking, for example, the use of glass pots and pans may help reduce the chance of accidental burns.