If you have a toddler, you know they desire opportunities to be independent and explore something new. In the Montessori classroom, meal preparation lessons are a large part of how the toddler learns to care for themselves and others in their community.
Below, we go over four meal prep lessons – washing strawberries, cutting cheese slices, cutting apple slices, and cutting cucumber slices. Each one uses different kitchen utensils that are age-appropriate for young children.
After watching the lessons, you may wish to present them to your child in a similar way. By having the materials laid out neatly and inviting your child to participate, the lesson can become a fascinating new sensory experience for them. Plus, if you have a picky eater, they are more inclined to eat foods that they have prepared themselves.
Initial Lessons
Before beginning with meal prep, your child will need an introduction to work in the kitchen. This would begin with a lesson on how to wash their hands (and a reminder that we wash our hands before working with food every time), as well as a lesson on how to put on their apron. In the classrooms, these lessons build upon each other, teaching children how to complete a sequence of tasks.
Washing Strawberries
Washing strawberries is an easy activity to start with in the kitchen. Children love the opportunity to turn on the sink and use the water. We recommend having a learning tower or sturdy step stool to make it easier for the child to be independent in this work.
Apple Slicing
Apple slicing is another great meal preparation activity for young children. Using an apple slicer is easy for small hands as they are able to grasp it and put their weight onto the handles. Cutting the apples into smaller slices first makes this task easier for young children.
Cheese Slicing
Cheese offers a harder surface to cut into for the child. By using a chopping tool, the children are able to put their weight onto the top of the utensil. This is a great tool to begin to transition into using knives.
Cutting Cucumber Slices
Using a wavy slicer can create visual interest for the child. This type of slicer can be used for most soft fruits and vegetables, as well as cheeses.
A few items of note:
Before giving these lessons to your child, think about your kitchen space from your child’s perspective. Are there surfaces that are easy for your child to reach? Do you have a way for them to access necessities, such as the sink and the tools they will be using? If you are interested in setting up your kitchen to be accessible, we encourage you to read our blog post A Montessori Kitchen.
If you would like to learn more about kitchen utensils that are safe for your child, we suggest reading the Montessori Toddler Knives and Montessori Knives blog posts from How We Montessori. This blog also shows the progression of knives from one to three years old. These posts provide a good overview of different types of knives that are appropriate for young children and why it is important to expose children early to kitchen safety.
Try it out!
Take some time this week to try one or more of these meal prep activities with your child. If they love a certain fruit or vegetable, you may want to try preparing that in a similar way. Let us know how it goes!
