Let kids become part of your family’s Thanksgiving traditions by getting them in the kitchen to help with dinner prep. Pint-sizers can pitch in with any number of doable tasks.
Ages 4-6
- Wash fruits and vegetables for salads and side dishes, peel cooled boiled eggs, flatten dough and count the cranberries.
- Measure and sift dry ingredients for cakes, cookies, pie crusts, rolls and breads, turn on the mixer, set the timer.
Ages 6-10
- Mash potatoes, snap green beans, and measure and whisk ingredients in a bowl for pumpkin pies and juice and zest fresh citrus.
- Set the table, make place cards for guests and cut fresh herbs and salad ingredients with kid-safe kitchen shears like these from Curious Chef.
Ages 10-12
- Press pie crusts into pans, mix simple desserts like brownies, frost cakes and melt butter in the microwave.
- Using (clean!) hands: Toss simple salads, shell pecans, peel and segment oranges, help crumble bread or cornbread for stuffing and punch bread dough.
Ages 12-14
- Help stuff the turkey, mix and measure salad dressings, cut potatoes for boiling, carrots for steaming, onions for sautéing, and rutabagas for roasting—perhaps with a little guidance and preferably with a kid-safe chef’s knife like this one from Chroma.
- Make a sheet cake or pie, cook rice, peel and chop white and sweet potatoes, measure and add spices to gravies and sauces, and help plate and garnish food in serving dishes.
