Age-appropriate recipes and cooking lessons that help children become confident cooks
Start with a simple no-cook project, learn one kitchen skill at a time, or choose a recipe to make together. Find clear guidance on what children can do, when adult help is needed, and which tools or heat sources are involved.
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Recipes to make and share
delicious recipes children will love.
A quick recipe for practising spreading, seasoning and arranging toppings. Cutting and toaster use should be assigned according to the child’s skills.
A creamy pasta dish to prepare together. Adult help is required for the stove, hot pans and draining the pasta.
Practise measuring, mixing and shaping dough for these soft cinnamon-coated cookies. An adult should handle the oven and hot baking trays.
Mix and serve a wizard-inspired drink for a themed party, film night or family cooking activity.
A cook-together chicken recipe. An adult should handle the raw chicken, prevent cross-contamination and manage the oven.
A family baking project combining apples with a simple crumbly topping. Children can help measure and assemble the ingredients; cutting and oven tasks depend on their skill level.
Helping children learn to cook
Kids Recipes is for families who want children to take an active, age-appropriate role in the kitchen. It brings together recipes children can prepare, dishes adults make for children, and projects designed for adults and children to cook together.
Ability matters more than age alone. A child might begin by washing, tearing, pouring and assembling ingredients before progressing to measuring, cutting, appliances or heat. The appropriate level of help depends on the child, the task and their previous experience.
The purpose is not to promise that every child will like every recipe or that one kind of food will determine lifelong health. It is to help children practise useful skills, explore ingredients without pressure and experience the satisfaction of making food.
Learn one skill at a time
Confidence grows through practice. Begin with setting up a clean workspace and reading a recipe, then progress through measuring, mixing, safe cutting, using appliances, working with heat and preparing a complete meal.
Every cooking lesson should explain:
- What the child will practise
- What equipment is needed
- Which steps require adult help
- Which hazards to consider
- Which recipes provide suitable practice
About Kids Recipes
Kids Recipes began in 2005 as a companion to Anne Ehmer’s book Easy Healthy Recipes for Kids. The site is now being organised around practical cooking skills, clearer safety guidance and more transparent recipe information.
Meet the people behind the site, learn how recipes are selected and tested, and find out how safety information and corrections are handled.
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