Some common complaints I hear about cooking with kids is that it takes too much time, everyone leaves frustrated, knives are scary, it doesn’t always taste as good or look as good as without help, and they’re not sure where to start.

Let’s start with the basics. When to start. ASAP The sooner you get them in the kitchen, the more comfortable they will be and the more you will learn about their skills and limitations. Ella started playing with utensils and spice containers as soon as she could sit in her Bumbo chair on the counter. Now a days she can stir, pour, and push buttons on the blender and food processor.

One of her favorite activities in the morning is making oatmeal for herself. I call it an activity, because it helps me see cooking more as play and not as a strict, rule driven instructional period. It should be playful and fun. It doesn’t always make it easier on me, but I’m playing the long game here people. The more she learns now, the sooner she will be self sufficient in the kitchen. I’m looking forward to the days when we wake up and she makes breakfast for herself, her sister, and me. A mom can dream, right?

I recorded a morning in the life of toddler led cooking at our house. We have a super fancy clothes basket that she uses as her work table. (one day we’ll invest in one of those helping towers, but right now, this is the perfect height for her. Bonus! She can get it herself from the laundry room.)

Step 1: Add oatmeal to pot. If you are concerned about them adding too much or too little, simple portion out how much oatmeal you’d like them to add in a bowl and set it next to the pot with a spoon to transfer. Teaching cooking skills and working on fine motor skills. Win win.

Step 2: She gets water from our filter on the counter. If your water source isn’t easily accessible, simply fill the cup with water for your toddler.

Step 3: Pour! Such a great skill to learn. Know that there will be messes throughout this entire process. That’s okay! Wipe everything down at the end and try to remember this is supposed to be fun:)

Step 4: Cinnamon time! We love cinnamon in our oatmeal. I also highly recommend apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice in the fall.

Step 5: Cook! I do this part completely. I’m not comfortable with her putting things on or operating our gas stove yet. Cook on medium low until water evaporates and oatmeal is the texture your family prefers.

Step 6: Adding peanut butter and milk. I portion her out a serving of peanut butter and let her go to town adding it to her oatmeal. See previous statement about things getting messy. She likes to eat some between spooning into oatmeal, which is fine! This is playtime, remember?

She was already sitting on the counter watching me unload the dishwasher while the oatmeal cooked, so that is where she did this part.

I like peanut butter or almond butter because it adds a little extra protein to what can be a carbohydrate heavy meal. It also helps keep her full for more than 30 minutes. We use almond milk due to dairy intolerance. At this point you can add any mix ins you like. Some things we love are chopped nuts (for older kiddos), dried fruit, fresh fruit cut into chunks, frozen fruit heated until soft, coconut flakes, protein powder, yogurt, beet powder (makes it a fun pink color), chia seeds, dulse for a savory version, and anything else sitting around in your cupboard. The possibilities are endless!

Anything you add, you can place on a little plate or put them in cups for your toddler to transfer with a spoon or simply dump in. We love these silicone cupcake liners for this purpose, because they are beautiful bright colors and add to the element of fun.

If your toddlers don’t like peanut butter, you could serve it with boiled eggs, yogurt, or cheese for a boost of protein.

I am passionate about getting kids in the kitchen early. Cooking at home and being comfortable in the kitchen will have huge repercussions for the rest of their lives. Eating at home and cooking from scratch is linked to all kinds of health benefits and is much cheaper. Allowing them to play and explore with food in the kitchen from a young age is such a gift.

If your toddlers are not ready to jump right in yet (or you’re not quite ready for them to), just having them be with you in the kitchen and see you cooking is beneficial. One of my favorite activities for Ella when she needs a bit of calming down time and I need to get dinner started is simply putting our “play rice” out on a vinyl table cloth I keep in a low drawer for her and giving her pots, pans, and utensils to pour the rice into and out of. This is a classic in our house and never fails to provide entertainment. I simply swap out the kitchen utensils and it’s a whole new experience for her. We’ve used everything from plastic Easter eggs to tea steepers. Anything non-breakable is fair game.

Let me know in the comments your favorite ways to get your toddlers in the kitchen. Happy cooking!