Holiday Cooking Activities for Preschoolers

Get your preschooler involved in dinner preparations for Thanksgiving, Christmas or other holidays with these cooking activities. If you're cooking the meal at home, give your preschooler jobs to keep them busy and help them feel proud for creating the meal. Prepare your preschooler beforehand by telling her that she'll have some special responsibilities for the holiday meal. Don't expect too much, though. Choose two or three jobs and then let your preschooler decide when it's time to take a break.

1. Dinner roll responsibility. The adults seem to forget the rolls each time, so put your preschooler in charge! Have your preschooler remind you to put in the dinner rolls at a certain time - a good trigger might be to have her ask about the rolls when the turkey is taken out. Then when it is time, your preschooler can arrange rolls on a cookie sheet or place bread in aluminum foil for warming.

2. Fix the fruit salad. Your preschooler can rinse fruit like grapes, berries, and whole apples then place them in a colander or on paper towels to dry. Then, after you’ve prepared all the sliced fruit, let your preschooler combine the fruit, add any dressing, and stir.

3. Create a colorful vegetable plate. After you've sliced the carrots, celery, broccoli and cucumbers, have your preschooler arrange groups of each, plus cherry tomatoes, into a colorful and tasty vegetable platter.

4. Stuffing preparation. A few days before Thanksgiving, your preschooler can break bread into cubes for your homemade stuffing.

5. Official topper. Lots of holiday foods get special toppings. Let your preschooler do the finishing touches by sprinkling chopped nuts or cheese onto side dishes and salads or sugar and spices onto pies and cookies.

6. Table creations. If your preschooler gets tired of kitchen duty, he can help set the table, put napkins in rings, create homemade placemats, or add to the holiday centerpiece.

More Preschooler Holiday Resources

Cookbooks for Preschoolers - A Buying Guide
Great cookbooks for preschoolers have recipes that cater to the needs of young eaters. Learn what to look for to foster healthy eating and an enjoyment of food. And see a few of the best cookbooks for preschoolers.

Holiday Cookbooks for Kids - Three of the Best for Your Kitchen Shelf
Cook up some fond memories with your preschooler this holiday season. These three cookbooks will provide great holiday baking recipes, food gift ideas, and holiday food traditions.

by Kati Chevaux

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