Have you reached the stage where your little one has asked to help in the kitchen? It can be scary and intimidating to let the kids help in the kitchen and it certainly requires a wealth of patience on the parents part. There are a few ways to gradually immerse them in the world of cooking with you.

First things first, make the safety part of cooking fun for them. Grab some cute aprons or personalized aprons and oven mitts that they will go crazy over. These two items are must-haves for children chefs. The aprons will not only keep their clothes clean but also make them feel important. The mitts are good for any stirring they want to do, obviously not for taking things out of the oven. Remember to teach them that steam can burn just as much as a physical hot object so it's important to keep their little faces away from steam and their hands covered in the oven mitts.

If you aren't quite ready for them to be helping that much with the actual food, there are other ways to have them help. Put the measuring tools within arms reach for them and ask them to hand them to you as you need them. If they are old enough, have them do some math with the measuring cups and spoons. Putting cupcake liners in the cupcake pan is another fun way to involve them. Clean up is an important step as well so ask them to throw things away and take the opportunity to talk to them about recycling. These are a few easy ways to keep them involved in the kitchen while keeping them safe at the same time.

Cooking is fun for all ages and as your child grows they will learn the boundaries and safety rules. Choose recipes that are kid-friendly such a simple biscuit recipe or making pizzas. Then work your way up to making meals. If you aren't sure where to start, there are cooking classes for kids that send kits to your house on a subscription basis. However you choose to cook with your kids, have fun and they will too.