How to Get Your Kids Into Cooking By Making Pizza Together

Are you looking for a fun way to get your kids interested in cooking? A great way to do this is to make pizza together.

Making pizza with your kids is a fun way to involve your kids in the kitchen. No matter how old they are, there are ways to involve them in the process and make a fun experience out of it. Pizza is a great place to start because it’s easy to put together and the outcome is delicious and kid-approved!

In this article, we are going to talk about how making pizza together as a family will help your kids become more interested in helping out with cooking.

What Age Is Best To Get Kids Involved In Cooking?

It’s never too soon to get your kids involved in cooking with you. There are different ways to involve children at every age depending on where they are developmentally.

Even if you have a little baby, it’s fun to put them in a wrap carrier while you cook to help them feel like a part of the process. You can gradually get them more involved over time as they become more independent and more safely able to participate.

How Is Pizza Going To Help Get My Kids Interested In Cooking?

Pizza is usually a household favorite food. It is pretty universally loved, and it is easy to make. Chances are that your kids get excited for pizza night, so letting them get involved in the process feels like a special treat.

What your kids might perceive as a fun chance to play with dough and sauce is actually teaching them how to cook and helps you out as well. This is a great way to help them want to be involved in cooking without feeling like they are being asked to do a chore.

How Do I Get My Kids Interested In Making Pizza With Me?

It might take a little coaxing to get your kids to want to start making pizza with you. If your child isn’t showing much interest, there are some things you can do to generate a little interest and encourage them to join in.

Here are 3 tips to get your kids interested in pizza-making:

1. Narrate The Process

Children are learning all the time. Their entire world is their school, especially in the early years. They are constantly picking up on things around them from the things you say or point out to them and what they observe.

You most likely already know that explaining even the simplest of household tasks is very interesting to children because it teaches them so much. Use this logic when trying to get them to make pizza with you.

Sit your kids in a high chair or on the floor next to you and explain the pizza-making process step by step as you make it and ask them if they want to join in. Even if it feels silly or awkward, pretend that you’re on a cooking show and explain every step.

2. Give Them A Job

Kids, especially older toddlers, really thrive when they are given some responsibility. If they seem reluctant to help you make pizza, give them a specific job to do like putting the pepperoni on top.

Build up the job as if it’s the most important job of the pizza-making process and bestow it upon them with excitement. Give them as much freedom as you can safely to do their job and tell them what a great job they did afterward. This confidence boost will entice them to want to do more cooking.

3. Get On The Same Level

Kids love to get up close and personal with everything. Sometimes their lack of interest in cooking is because they can’t see what’s going on. Find a way to get them up to your height safely so that they can feel more involved.

If your kids can see and touch the pizza ingredients, they will be more likely to see it as fun and interesting.

If your child can stand independently, buy or build a learning tower for them to stand at counter height next to you. For smaller children and babies, you can put them in a high chair in front of the counter or wear them in a front-facing carrier or baby wrap.

Why Should I Involve My Kids In Cooking?

Many parents view cooking with kids as a stressful thing because it can mean slowing things down or making a bigger mess, but the benefits outweigh those inconveniences. Cooking is something that you have to do every day anyway, so you might as well find a way to make it enjoyable.

Here are a few reasons why cooking together is great for both you and your kids:

• Life Lessons - Cooking together can teach your kids things like patience, focus, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Teaching these important concepts in a fun way can help your for kids to pick up these lessons quickly.
• Bonding - Taking the time to slow down and cook with your kids is a great way to strengthen your relationship. You can use that time to talk about their day or just laugh and have fun. These are memories you will have forever.
• Fun - Cooking is fun! Get into it with fun aprons and good music. Pretend that you work in a restaurant and keep the game going through dinner. When you make it fun, cooking won’t feel like a chore for anyone.

Conclusion

Pizza is a great first food to cook together because it’s easy to make, requires minimal clean-up, and is delicious for the whole family.

Making pizza together as a family is a great way to teach your kids how to cook as well as important life skills like independence and focus. They will feel confident and happy because they will feel like they helped, and it can take the stress off of mealtime for you as well.