This article was originally written by Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, Rachel Ezzell, for our FCS Newsletter. Want to receive our monthly newsletter directly to your email inbox? Sign up to receive the newsletter in your email each month! If not, content can be found here within our Duplin County website.

Have you ever had the privilege of teaching a five year old how to crack an egg? It’s honestly a lot of fun. I teach a few youth cooking workshops with our 4-H team here in our office during the summer (Interested in learning more about this? Visit our office or call 910.296.2143 for more information about our 2026 4-H summer workshop line up- including our cooking workshops but also other opportunities for 5-18 year old youth). Some of the kids might have had previous experience cracking an egg and for others it might be the first time- either way they’re usually fairly new to this concept. There’s a fine line between not tapping an egg quite hard enough for it to break and an exploded egg on a kitchen counter. We’ll have a variety of outcomes (learn how to clean up our inevitable messes) and laugh a lot in the process.

Cooking is a great way to involve kids in the kitchen and to encourage them to try new foods. Cooking is a valuable skill that teaches kids about nutrition and safety while also building skills in math, science, literacy, and fine motor skills. Kids can learn the basics of financial literacy, fractions, activating their senses, the scientific method, etc. from the process of planning, shopping, and cooking. By involving kids in the planning process and preparing meals, they might be more willing to try new foods, increase self-confidence, learn culture and family traditions, and become exposed to a variety of foods. In the process, it's a great way for family and loved ones to spend quality time together.

While we offer programming for youth from 5 to 18, there’s potential to get kids involved in the kitchen even sooner. Age appropriate kitchen tasks can help kids develop small-muscle movement and hand-eye coordination. Clemson’s Kids in the Kitchen Factsheet is a great reference point for anyone looking for age-appropriate kitchen jobs.

My sister is one year and 356 days older than me (maybe one day I’ll give her those 9 extra days and just say 2 years, but today is not that day). It’s still a running family joke about her telling our mom she was worried about me and that I would never learn to read- I was two. You’ll know your child (or grandchild, or niece, or nephew) better than a standardized list. However, while every child is different, these can be a good reference point.

I’ve referenced the Kids in the Kitchen Factsheet a few times- so if this topic interests you I hope you’ll look more into it. Other than copying and pasting what they said- it’s hard to capture all the various aspects they cover from food safety to age appropriate tasks and even books that encourage children to cook. So I’ll touch a bit on what this looks like when our nephews come to Aunt Rachel and Uncle Matt’s (or GiGi’s).

Both boys have had birthdays since these photos were taken near Christmas, but at the time the 9-12 category was the closest to both of their age ranges. We had to go to town to pick them up, so we asked the boys what they might want for a meal or snacks (involving them in the planning) and went to the grocery store. French toast and berries is our usual breakfast staple when they come over- and that’s what they asked for. We’ve practiced knife skills with lettuce knives at GiGi’s house since they were probably 5. I still remember their GiGi giving them a block of cheese to just practice cutting when they finished whatever we were working on because they were having so much fun. While we could probably transition to a chef’s knife, these still get the job done and have a feeling of nostalgia at this point. GiGi is still usually in charge of the stove and heating the pan, but the boys flip at least some of the French toast. & probably their least favorite but necessary evil- they’re old enough to manage most of the kitchen clean up. Not pictured here, but one of my favorite tasks with this age group is reading a recipe completely and measuring. When we make Christmas cookies or something that requires measuring we also are practicing counting by fractions.

For more information, check out Clemson Cooperative Extension’s Kids in the Kitchen Factsheet.

Looking for more inspiration on cooking with kids? Sampson County’s FCS agent, Sydney Knowles hosts At the Table- an educational cooking show produced using realistic recipes with ingredients that are easy to find locally. Sydney has three kids and her oldest has been a special guest on a couple episodes. He recently rejoined Sydney on an April episode.