Young Chefs Academy has set out to teach children and teens the joy and value of cooking. They designated September 13th as National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day. Their goal is to empower children to assist in the planning, preparation, and actual cooking of a family meal. When kids play an active role in family mealtime, they learn to be more independent in the kitchen. Self-sufficiency in the kitchen can help them grow into healthier adults.

If the thought of having your children help in the kitchen sounds messy and daunting, here are some tips on how to celebrate Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day.

Involve the family in the whole cooking process.
Let your kids look through cookbooks or search for recipes together on the web. Take them grocery shopping with you so they can learn how to find different ingredients at the store. Then, as you are cooking, let them taste the food so you can talk about flavors, colors, and texture.
Choose a healthy and kid-friendly recipe.
Be realistic about what you can joyfully cook with your kids based on their age. Kids love to stir a mixing bowl and add ingredients. Here are a few kid-friendly recipes: oatmeal, blueberry pancakes, yogurt parfaits, quiche, bagel pizzas, lasagna, tacos, quesadillas, meatballs, and fruit salad.
Prepare the cooking area.
If you have very young kids and are concerned about the mess of cooking with your little ones, then it’s wise to prepare your workspace. Set out bowls and ingredients and have specific tasks assigned to each child. However, remember, it’s not about perfection; it’s about creating memories in the kitchen.