Meal Prep · Kitchen know-how

Kids in the Kitchen, by Age

What children can do in the kitchen at ages 3 to 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 12 and 13 and up, with a grown-up: jobs, words and tools to learn, first recipes, measuring practice from the Math Ladder, knife skills, and table setting from the Etiquette Ladder.

Rules for every age

Every child is different. The ages below are a guide; move on when a child shows they’re ready.

  • A grown-up is in the kitchen whenever a child cooks.
  • Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before you start, and after touching raw meat, poultry or eggs.
  • Pull long hair back.
  • Turn pot and pan handles in, away from the edge of the stove.
  • Use oven mitts for anything that has been on the stove or in the oven.
  • Never leave the stove on and walk away.
  • Unplug appliances before cleaning them or reaching near blades.
  • Don’t taste raw dough or batter, or food that isn’t cooked yet.
  • Clean up together. Cleaning is part of cooking.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Knife skills, step by step

Learn these two holds on soft foods first, with a grown-up showing how.

  • Put a damp towel under the board so it doesn’t slide.
  • Carry a knife with your arm at your side and the point down.
  • Never put a knife into a sink full of water; wash it and put it away.

The claw

Curl the fingertips of the hand holding the food under, like a bear’s claw, with the thumb tucked behind. The knuckles guide the side of the blade, and the fingertips stay out of the way.

The bridge

For round foods like a potato or tomato: make a bridge over the food with the thumb on one side and fingers on the other. Cut down through the gap under the bridge. Then lay the flat side down so it can’t roll.

Sources: [4]

Ages 3 to 5

Little hands love to stir, pour and wash. Stay right beside them every minute.

Jobs to try, with a grown-up

  • Wash hands with soap for 20 seconds, the first job every time
  • Rinse fruit and vegetables in a bowl of water
  • Stir and mix batters
  • Pour from a small pitcher
  • Brush oil onto bread or vegetables with a pastry brush
  • Cut cookie and sandwich shapes with cutters
  • Mash bananas or cooked potatoes
  • Tear lettuce
  • Wipe the table and carry unbreakable things

Kitchen words

  • bowl
  • spoon
  • cup
  • stir
  • pour
  • wash
  • hot
  • cold
  • full
  • empty

Tools to know

Knife skills

No sharp knives. With a grown-up, a plastic or butter knife can cut soft foods like banana on a board.

First recipes

Measuring practice

Fill and pour: which cup holds more? Count scoops of oats into a bowl.

At the table

Put a napkin, a fork and a cup at each place.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Ages 6 to 8

Ready for real steps of a recipe. A grown-up is still in the kitchen, and abilities vary a lot, so match the job to the child.

Jobs to try, with a grown-up

  • Crack eggs into a bowl, then wash hands
  • Measure dry ingredients and level them off
  • Peel carrots and potatoes with a vegetable peeler, peeling away from the hand
  • Snip herbs and green onions with blunt kitchen shears
  • Shuck corn and prepare lettuce for a salad
  • Beat eggs with a whisk
  • Load the dishwasher (knives go in with a grown-up, or get hand-washed)
  • Scoop out avocado halves after a grown-up cuts them

Kitchen words

  • measure
  • level
  • teaspoon
  • tablespoon
  • peel
  • crack
  • whisk
  • mix
  • raw
  • cooked

Tools to know

Knife skills

Practice the claw and bridge holds on soft foods (cucumber, banana, cooked potato) with a butter knife or a kid-safe knife, a grown-up right beside them.

First recipes

Measuring practice

How many ¼ cups fill 1 cup? How many teaspoons make a tablespoon? Weigh an apple on the scale.

At the table

Set a simple place: plate in the middle, fork on the left, knife and spoon on the right, cup above the knife.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Ages 9 to 12

Can follow a whole recipe with a grown-up nearby. Before working more on their own, check that they know the stove, oven and knife rules below.

Jobs to try, with a grown-up

  • Read a recipe all the way through, then gather everything first
  • Measure accurately, liquid and dry
  • Open cans with a can opener
  • Use a food thermometer to check that food is done
  • Boil pasta and simmer sauces on the stove
  • Bake in the oven with oven mitts
  • Use the microwave safely
  • Slice and chop vegetables
  • Put leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate them within 2 hours
  • Plan a simple family meal

Kitchen words

  • simmer
  • boil
  • sauté
  • preheat
  • dice
  • mince
  • cross-contamination
  • internal temperature
  • yield

Tools to know

Knife skills

Slicing and chopping vegetables with a sharp knife, using the claw and bridge, on a board that doesn’t slide. A grown-up supervises.

First recipes

Measuring practice

Double a recipe or cut it in half. The meal planner scales recipes too: check its math.

At the table

Set the whole family table, with glasses, napkins and serving spoons.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]

Ages 13 and up

Can cook whole meals and learn why recipes work. Still check in on knife, stove and food safety habits.

Jobs to try, with a grown-up

  • Cook a full dinner from start to finish
  • Change a recipe once they know how it works
  • Brown meat and check it with a thermometer
  • Roast a chicken or a sheet-pan dinner
  • Plan meals and a shopping list on a budget
  • Clean as they go and sanitize after raw meat
  • Care for cast iron and knives

Kitchen words

  • braise
  • sear
  • deglaze
  • emulsify
  • fold
  • proof
  • mise en place (French: “everything in its place”)

Tools to know

Knife skills

Full chef’s knife skills: the claw grip, rocking cuts, dicing an onion, honing before use, hand-washing and safe storage.

First recipes

Measuring practice

Convert a recipe from cups to grams with the kitchen scale. Work out the cost per serving.

At the table

Set a formal table and host a family dinner.

Sources: [1], [2], [3]

More for young cooks

Sources

  1. Teaching Kids to Cook (Esther Ellis), Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2022, reviewed 2026). Accessed 2026-10-30.
  2. Kids in the Kitchen, University of Illinois Extension. Accessed 2026-10-30.
  3. Kid-Friendly Kitchen Tasks, UConn Extension 4-H (2024). Accessed 2026-10-30.
  4. Teaching Safe Knife Skills, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (2019). Accessed 2026-10-30.

Updated 2026-10-30. These pages share widely accepted advice from the sources listed; for a health condition, ask your doctor.

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