Cooking with young children for the first time can be a daunting task. As a preschool teacher, I made meals with 8 children at a time. The best advice that I can give you is to focus on the process and not the product. Kids love to eat the food that they helped create even if it looks and tastes a bit strange. Cooking is a fun way for kids to learn where food comes from and practice skills like sharing and counting. Here are some tips and an easy cookie recipe for your first cooking activity with children.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

First, tell the kids to wash their hands. Not the 123 wash and shake dry approach that most youngsters use. Instead, tell them to sing the "happy birthday song" and scrub their hands until they say the last "happy birthday to you". Older kids can also count to 30. Tell them that you will check their work when they are finished and they will have to rewash their hands if they wipe their nose etc. While they are washing, get out all of the ingredients and measuring spoons. When working with more than one child, assign the ingredient that they will put in the bowl. Here is a easy to make recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Ingredients needed:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg.

1/4 cup of chocolate chips

A stick of butter to grease the cookie sheet

Materials needed:

Measuring cup

Table spoons

Mixing bowl

mixing spoon

Timer

Let the oldest child start by measuring the peanut butter. Peanut butter is thick and can be difficult to scoop out with a measuring cup. So, put the measuring cup flat onto the table and give the child a table spoon. Tell the child to fill up the cup with peanut butter by spooning out the peanut butter from the jar. The key to cooking with children is to engage them so that they don't get bored while waiting for their turn. Some questions to ask while the peanut butter is getting measured are: What is peanut butter made from? How many spoonfuls will it take to fill the cup? Have the children count it out. Next have the second child measure a cup of brown sugar and place it in the bowl with the peanut butter. Have the first child measure and drop a teaspoon of cinnamon in the bowl. Teach the children how to break an egg with one crack on the side of the bowl and put it in yourself. Or, get a new bowl and let the child do it, and pick out any eggshells that may get into the bowl. The next ingredient will likely be the most popular. Have a child measure out 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and put in the bowl.

As a reward, I let children eat as many chocolate chips as they are old at the end of the cooking project. Let the children take turns mixing the batter. It is up to you whether you let them use their hands or a mixing spoon. Have a child take a stick of butter and rub it all over on the cookie sheet. This can be an art project too. And finally, have the kids take turns placing rounded spoonfuls of cookie batter onto the cookie sheet. Set the timer and enjoy your cookies in about 10 minutes! Don't forget the milk.

What is your favorite food to cook with your children? Do you remember the first food that you cooked when you were young?