At Project CHEF, we believe that children of any age are capable of helping out in the kitchen. It’s hard to put a number on what age your child may start using a knife, but if you are looking for a place to start, we have a few helpful tips to get your kids in the kitchen.

In the classroom, we have taught children as young as 4 years old how to cut safely with a knife. This, of course, requires close supervision and a more hands-on approach than with an 8 year old but it can be done. We have seen students in Grade 1 go from never before holding a knife, to confidently and independently cutting on their own over the course of one week.

 

#1 Where to START

If you feel that your child is not quite ready to learn how to use a knife, there are plenty of cooking skills they can learn using their hands and other kitchen tools.

#2 What comes NEXT

Next, you might like to introduce using handheld equipment, including those with sharp blades or edges.  Watch our Sharp Hand Tools video to learn how to safely use these tools.

#3 Progress to CUTTING and COOKING

When you are ready to introduce using a knife, there are some very important safety measures to follow. Watch our Knife Skills video for an easy-to-understand introduction to holding a knife and cutting.

COOKING PROGRESSION at a GLANCE

There is not one approach to introducing cooking skills. Do what your feel works best for your children and your family. At the end of the day, the more hands helping in the kitchen, the better. Refer to our Top Tips for Cooking before getting started.

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USING YOUR HANDS

• • Tearing (herbs, cheese, salad greens)
  • Greasing a pan
  • Measuring liquid & dry ingredients
  • Cracking eggs
  • Washing & drying dishes
  • Setting the table
  • Mixing ingredients
  • Kneading dough

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COOKING SKILLS

• • Mashing
  • Whisking
  • Mixing
  • Folding
  • Emulsifying
  • Juicing
  • Creaming

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USING SHARP HAND TOOLS

• Micro-plane
• Box grater or Flat grater
• Vegetable peeler
• Melon baller

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USING A KNIFE

• • Holding a knife
  • Claw & Saw
  • Teeter Totter
  • Cutting fruits and vegetables

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COOKING AT A STOVETOP

• • Stovetop Safety
  • Adding ingredients to a hot pan
  • Flipping
  • Stirring
  • Sautéing
  • Stir-frying

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RECIPES TO GET YOU STARTED

We have categorized our recipes to help you choose ones suitable to your family.

Beginner
no cutting or stovetop cooking

 

Intermediate
some cutting or cooking

 

Top CHEFS
cutting & stovetop cooking, more advanced fine motor skills

 

HAPPY COOKING CHEFS!