Teach Your Kids to Cook

Cooking is an essential skill that our children will use throughout their lives. Fortunately, it’s also an easy skill to teach. No lesson plans or complicated curriculum are necessary; just get your kids in the kitchen and prepare meals together. Younger children will usually be eager to help and can do simple tasks like washing vegetables or mixing ingredients. As they get older, move on to tasks like peeling potatoes and cracking eggs. Later they can begin slicing vegetables and preparing simple dishes like grilled cheese sandwiches and scrambled eggs. As their skills grow, continue to increase their responsibility and freedom in the kitchen. Before long, they will be able to prepare recipes on their own!

Below are some free resources your family can use to prepare meals together and to encourage your children’s interest in cooking. There are downloadable cookbooks, YouTube channels, and more.

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Free Downloadable Cookbooks for Kids

ABC Snacks Cookbook – Creative snacks for every letter of the alphabet.

Betty Crocker’s Cook Book for Boys and Girls – A vintage children’s cookbook published in 1957.

Family-Friendly Recipes: Kids in the Kitchen – Age-appropriate recipes for younger children.

Keiki Can Cook! – Fun and healthy recipes to make with kids. Published by WIC Hawaii.

Kids… Get Cookin’! – Fast and fun recipes for kids.

A Little Cook Book for a Little Girl – Classic cookbook published in 1905.

The Mary Frances Cook Book (or Adventures Among the Kitchen People) –  A storybook and cookbook combined. Published in 1912.

Recipes for Healthy Kids – Created by the USDA.

When Mother Lets Us Cook – Recipes for children to make without assistance. Published in 1916.

When Mother Lets Us Make Candy – Beginning candy making. Published in 1915.

YouTube Cooking Channels for Kids

Bigger Bolder Baking – Lots of baking recipes.

Charli’s Crafty Kitchen – Fun recipes and party treats.

Cook with Amber –  Teenage host prepares a variety of recipes.

Eats Amazing – Makes healthy food fun.

Everyday Food with Sarah Carey – Cooking tutorials that feature simple meals.

Family Fun Pack – Kid hosts prepare a variety of recipes.

Hey Kids, Let’s Cook! – Recipes, nutrition, manners, and more.

Hoopla Kidz Recipies – Cakes, cupcakes, and more.

How to Cake It – Cake decorating.

Messy Hands – A wide variety of recipes.

Nerdy Nummies – Baking creations that resemble characters and objects from video games, TV, books, and films.

Spoons Across America – Healthy snack recipes based on the Farm to Book Storytime books.

Cooking Websites for Kids

Able2Learn – Step-by-step visual recipes.

ChopChop Cooking Club – Children earn virtual patches as they learn cooking skills.

Clabber Girl – baking lesson plans

Family Consumer Sciences – Lots of lesson plans covering cooking and nutrition.

Spoons Across America’s Food Explorers Club – Activities and recipes that encourage healthy eating are delivered every other week through email

Start Cooking – Detailed videos and recipes for beginners.

The Kids Cook Monday! – Recipes, tips, and more.

Home Baking Association – Lesson plans, activities, and age-specific activities.

Allrecipes.com’s Kid Chef Recipes – Hundreds of recipes for kids to make.

Woo! Jr. Kids Activities – An extensive collection of recipes for kids to make.

A Guide to Cookery Skills by Age – A helpful guide created by the BBC. Includes some recipes.

More Life Skills

I hope your family enjoys using these free resources as you cook together. If you’re looking for free resources to teach other life skills, visit this page. You’ll find free resources for financial literacy, home economics, driver’s education, auto repair, entrepreneurship, gardening, and much more.


Note: This post was originally published on October 9, 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.