Child & Adult Care Food Program

Kids in the kitchen – age appropriate activities

Use the following guidelines to select age-appropriate activities.

Two year olds can develop their large arm muscles in the following activities:

• Clean vegetables with brushes.
• Clean tables.
• Wash dishes.
• Tear, break and snap foods.
• Dip foods into dips.

Three year olds can develop hand muscles in the following activities:

• Wrap foil around food.
• Wrap dough around meat or vegetable fillings to make many cultural dishes.
• Press dough in a baking pan.
• Pour from small plastic pitchers.
• Mix with hands or a wooden spoon in a container twice the size of the amount of the mixture.
• Shake small jars of food.
• Spread foods using dull table knives or small spatulas.

Four year olds can develop fine motor coordination in these activities:

• Use fingers to peel eggs, oranges, corn, etc.
• Roll and flatten food.
• Juice fruits.
• Crack eggs with a table knife.
• Mash foods.

Five year olds can develop fine motor coordination in these activities:

• Measure ingredients.
• Cut soft foods.
• Teach knife safety: using a cutting board; using a knife that fits in their hands; using a plastic serrated knife for soft foods; showing how to hold a knife and cut safely. Always supervise when children are using knives.
• Turn a grinder.
• Grate food
• Beat with an egg beater.

Adapted from: Why Do We Eat What We Eat, Ohio Cooperative Extension Service