What can a 7 year old do in the kitchen?

amother

Forestgreen

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 3:48 pm

My 7 year old has expressed an interest in learning to cook. Obviously he can mix things, crack eggs etc. I'm talking more like peeling/chopping/stove. Can the average 7 year old do any of these safely? Are there some things that he can be eased into? Is there anything that really needs to wait till older? What can they do at what age? It goes without saying that there needs to be adult supervision at all times.

thunderstorm

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 3:50 pm

I don't let a knife or turning on the fire. But my son peels a lot, and he preps dishes . For example he has made cholent and the and gefilte fish all on his own. He even knows the recipes by heart. I just turn the flames on.

The same with baking . He has combined all ingredients , mixed and poured into a baking pan. All I had to do was put it in and take it out of the oven.

amother

Forestgreen

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 4:11 pm

He already makes salads, mixes baking ingredients, stuff like that. He wants to do actual cooking. So it would be reasonable to start using peelers at this point? Also, you said you don't allow him to turn the stove on, but can he cook over a flame that's already on? (Like stirring, not frying- definitely not old enough to do the frying).

keym

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 4:19 pm

Mine loves the food processor and mixer. I let him do all the prep and mixing. I crack eggs because of the mess and I put it in and out of the oven.

amother

Pewter

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 4:23 pm

Have you watched Master Chef Junior?
IMHO, he can START peeling, chopping, using a knife, using machinery, and yes even turn on fire
WITH SUPERVISION
WITH SUPERVISION
WITH SUPERVISION
If and only if he can be trusted not to do it on his own.

First, teach him safety rules, and that includes not doing ANYTHING, with out mommy’s permission.

He needs to understand that cooking is a privledge that will be permanently
taken away if he’s not safe in the kitchen.

Stars

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 4:34 pm

Buy him one of the kids cookbooks, and have safety discussions while looking through the recipes together. No loose clothing, long hair pulled back etc.
I would allow him to use older knives you know have some bluntness to them already, but no new ones, and nothing bigger than the regular kitchen knife. Always with permission, never cutting anything towards yourself, and never to leave them lying around haphazardly. Peelers are fine, just make sure he knows how not to knick himself.
Whenever he does something new, hang around closely but don't intervene unless he asks for help.
I wouldn't allow opening the oven or flames yet, only in a year or two or three - once he proves himself trustworthy.
Kitchen privileges can be revoked/suspended anytime mom feels there is something unsafe going on.

thunderstorm

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 4:36 pm

amother wrote:

I don't let him stand near the stove yet while it's on. By age 9 I started letting. My 9 yr old son makes scrambled eggs and toast for the entire family but he is not comfortable with a sharp knife yet.

amother

Periwinkle

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 4:42 pm

My 7yo DD:
peels, and cuts veggies and fruit for salads
Stirs things on a low flame
Seasons veggies for roasting
Measures, mixes and pans cake mixes (could prob do non mix too- just hasn’t) For YT she made Black Forest cupcakes (devils food cake mix layered with cherry pie filling)
Peels garlic
Makes cholent

She does not do all of these things on a regular basis, but she is capable of doing them. Most of them require me to supervise, and she knows that.

DVOM

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 5:50 pm

My 7 year old loves to cook and bake. At this point, he can make almost everything I can, with supervision. I do let him turn on the oven and burners if I'm in the room watching. He loves making scrambled or sunny side up eggs, pancakes, french toast, homemade pizza, schnitzel, meatballs. Before a yom tov he's right there with me, making meat turnovers, roasts, cleaning chickens. He also loves to bake and does a really good job. I feel like I'm finally seeing the rewards of always allowing him to 'help' when he was younger. This kid has been wanting to cook and bake since he was two, and I've always let him, even though as a littler kid the help was not very helpful. Now though he is really pretty independent in the kitchen and so much fun to have around to help me cook. Most important part: our ironclad deal is that whatever he uses, he cleans up.

cbg

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 5:58 pm

DVOM wrote:

Impressive

gamanit

Fri, Jun 01 2018, 7:10 pm

I think a seven year old is old enough to peel vegetables but I believe eggs are supposed to be checked by someone older than bar or bas mitzvah for blood spots, especially if they are organic eggs. I think there is an exception for if a child is particularly responsible and over a certain age; check with your rav to see what he holds. Knives I would say depends on how careful he would be.

emunahmother

Sat, Jun 02 2018, 3:35 pm

Mine does a lot of the above also. Peeling, cutting, baking, eggs, breading fish and chicken is probably a favorite. I also love the help before Yom Tov. It’s at the point where it really does help cut time and we enjoy spending time together when all is calm and quiet.

I never thought of chulent but I think it’s a great idea! My husband’s job is spicing it but I don’t mind giving over my job of prepping the pot!

zebra111

Sat, Jun 02 2018, 4:02 pm

Its definately a help when kids know and are encouraged to help. My 4yo peels, 5yo chops, 2yo 'washes' up..not much left for me to do at the end of the day Wink

amother

Lemon

Sat, Jun 02 2018, 4:15 pm

You can buy childsafe nylon knives I have these https://www.amazon.com/Curious.....+kids

My 3 year old and I make smoothies together- she cuts the fruit, and the size doesn't matter because it's all going into the blender anyway.

Iymnok

Sat, Jun 02 2018, 5:35 pm

Ds started cutting cucumbers when he was two. He’s 4 now and it’s his job.
Dd, 9 makes gefilte fish. She does it entirely herself including turning on/off the flame.
We are still trying to get everyone to open an egg without breaking the yolk and without shells.