What's for dinner?

What’s for dinner? It's a question every parent or caregiver sometimes dreads at the end of the day. Involving your child in the planning and preparation of meal is a great way to spend time together and make it more interesting for both of you. Plus there’s a better chance your child will eat more of what’s on offer when they’re part of the process!

Try these ideas next time you and your child are ready to cook up a storm together:

• Look at recipes together and plan what you are going to cook. Talk about the pictures of different meals, and describe the way they might taste.
• Write a shopping list of the ingredients you’ll need. When you do this with your child, you’re helping them understand that words have meaning. 
• When you go to the supermarket, point out and read the signs in each of the aisles.  
• If you’re buying fresh fruit, vegetables or dairy items, you can talk about where the food has come from. Have they come from a tree or an animal? Or did they grow in the ground? 
• Talk about how different food is stored and why. For example, some foods can go in the cupboard and other food goes in the fridge.  
• When it comes time for cooking let your child help you measure the ingredients: this is a simple way to introduce maths concepts. You can even talk about weight and volume.

To make dinner extra special think about setting up a restaurant. Your child could have hours of fun creating a drawn menu or sign for the restaurant, and helping you set and decorate the table. Everyday activities provide the best opportunities for learning.