Let Your Little Chef Help You This Thanksgiving Holiday!

With so much to do to prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, I was wondering how am I going to get it all done with a toddler and a newborn at home? Instead of trying to find ways to entertain my three-year old while I’m cooking, this year, I am going to let her be my little chef and join in on the Thanksgiving fun!

Here are some ways you can let your little chef (safely) help you prepare a fabulous meal this Thanksgiving holiday!

- Teach your child the importance of washing your hands before preparing a meal. Letting them wash their hands in the sink all by themselves will certainly be fun for them! Also teach your kid to wash their hands in between each dish you make, too. Playing with soap and water will be a highlight for your little one during the cooking process.

- Talk about kitchen safety with your child as you cook. Teach them never to touch the stove or oven while you are cooking, and to never touch knives or other sharp tools while preparing food.

- Prep the foods before you cook with your child. If you have the ingredients already measured out, your child can be the official food “dumper” and pour the ingredients in bowls, blenders and crock pots for you. This will save you time and will also allow you to keep things rolling in the kitchen, so you don’t have to appease a small child who doesn’t want to wait for you to cut and prep the ingredients.

- Ask your children to wash the fruits and vegetables, snap the green beans, and stir the cake batter. These tasks are easy and safe, and are also very helpful to you as you prepare the rest of your meal.

- Encourage your child to help you clean as you go. Give them the job of washing the bowls or dishes. They will see it as a game rather than a chore and you’ll have a clean kitchen by the time you are finished preparing your foods! It’s a win-win!

- If there is not enough room or things to do with the actual preparation of the food, then ask your child to make placemats, place setting cards, or table decorations for your feast! They will love making decorations for the table and for your guests. Simply provide them with the necessary supplies (crayons, paper, tape, glue, scissors, etc.) and this will keep them happily occupied while you cook away!

- Also, have your kids set the table for you while you cook. Show them an example of a place setting and see if they can replicate it for you. You can be the inspector and inspect their work! They’ll love trying to mimic the place setting you created and will also learn table-setting etiquette that they can put into practice all year long.

Hopefully these tips will help keep your Thanksgiving holiday a little more. Happy Thanksgiving from Pure and Honest Kids!

Also, check out these fabulous aprons and smocks for your little chefs! They'll feel like the "real deal" with these adorable, perfectly sized aprons for kids, available at Pure and Honest Kids!