Keep your kids occupied while you cook and get them involved!

• A Kitchen Drawer for Kids:  Give your child access to a bottom drawer in the kitchen filled with non-breakable spoons, cups, bowls etc.  They love playing with “kitchen toys” and this can keep them busy while you are cooking.  Just make sure it’s in a safe spot.
• Learning shapes with food:  Let your children learn shapes by cutting sandwiches with plastic knives.  Not only is it fun but they enjoy the food more.
• Learning measures by baking.  Children can count spoonful’s or cups you need for baking.  Older children can learn more complicated measures.  It’s a fun way to learn calculations and the reward is twofold as something pops out of the oven afterwards.
• Fun Place mats: Teach your child how to lay the table by using a vinyl placemat.  Outline the shape of a knife fork and spoon as well as the plate in their correct positions with a permanent black marker.  Children enjoy matching the cutlery to the shape.
• Three Questions at Dinner: To stimulate conversation around the dinner table ask your family to share three things that happened to them at school or work that day.