Kids love to help out in the kitchen, though their idea of “helping out” isn’t always helpful. If you can get them started on an activity while an adult prepares dinner, you’ll both stay busy and have some fun at the same time.
Foodcaster
Sports stars get play-by-play coverage when they perform—why not Mom and Dad when they’re working in the kitchen?
All you need is a large spoon to turn your kitchen into a broadcast booth. Hand the spoon over to your kids, and suggest that they tell the “audience” what’s going on in the kitchen. Sometimes it helps to give them a quick 20-second demonstration—just hold the spoon in front of your face like an old-time microphone and start off your performance patter.
“It’s a beautiful day here in Smith Kitchen Stadium,” you might say if you want to give dinnertime a sports flavor. Or, if you prefer a newscaster, rather than a sportscaster, approach: “We’re standing in the kitchen of the Smith family, waiting eagerly for the first reports of dinner.” At this point, thrust the “microphone” toward your youngster and ask him or her to describe how they feel to be part of this momentous occasion.
It may not be NBC, but combining sports- and newscasting with dinnertime makes for hungry headlines!
Reprinted with permission from 101 Offline Activities You Can Do With Your Child, by Ruth Bennett and Steve Bennett (BPT Press, 2011).
