Winter 2016-2017
Whether you celebrate Christmas , Hanukkah , Kwanzaa or something else , there ’ s usually food involved , which means you ’ re going to be in the kitchen . While you ’ re there , why not include your little ones in the fun ? Kids love to help measure out ingredients and mix them up . This is the perfect time to enlist their assistance while imparting basic lessons about cooking . And believe it or not , many of these activities also provide learning and developmental opportunities that go well beyond food preparation .
“ You can use this time in the kitchen to work with your child on counting skills , color sorting , and understanding basic measurements , which all help develop fine motor skills ,” said Jodi Ervin , RD , a registered dietitian with Wolfson Children ’ s Hospital . “ It ’ s also a great chance to talk about nutrition and healthy eating .”
Making something like a healthy holiday trail mix together utilizes all of the above . From measuring out the ingredients , allowing him or her to count out small items like M & Ms ®, separating out the green and red ones into a separate pile , and pouring them into small containers help hone manual dexterity , which is the coordination between the small muscles in the hands and fingers with those in the eyes . These activities also make a child feel more at home in the kitchen environment , which is important later when they are off cooking on their own someday .
Healthy Holiday Trail Mix
• 2 cups Cheerios™ ( plain or multigrain ), Rice / Wheat Chex™ , or Kashi ® GOLEAN cereal
• ½ cup whole-grain pretzel sticks or squares
• ¼ cup raisins , dried blueberries or dried cranberries
• ¼ cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup almonds , cashews or walnuts
• Sprinkle in mini-M & Ms ® or chocolate chips Mix everything and portion into ½ cup servings .
“ With microwaveable items and take-out food so readily available , children today aren ’ t learning basic skills in the kitchen anymore that one day lead to better eating habits as adults ,” said Ervin . “ Habits form at an early age and with childhood obesity on the rise , it ’ s really important to get them involved in the kitchen when they ’ re little , and to make it fun .”
The best time to plan these kitchen sessions , she added , is after a good nap when your child is well rested . It ’ s also a wonderful distraction from the television and video games . Every now and then , veering off the healthy path and making a treat like cookies is OK , too . After all , holidays and cookies do go hand-in-hand .
“ Teaching them how to make a recipe that ’ s been in the family for years is a great way to build tradition ,” said Ervin .
18 Cub Club Quarterly