When teaching cooking to kids or adults, there are basic skills that must be addressed. First and foremost is safety and sanitation.

Safety First

Children should be able to navigate the kitchen safely. Show them everything that gets hot, including the hot tap of the sink.

Describe how the stove works, and teach them to turn it on and off. If you have a gas range, point out the pilot light and explain the mechanism. If yours is electric, spend time watching the coils heat and turn red.

Do the same with the oven, toaster, and any other countertop appliance that little fingers can get stuck in. If they learn what the appliances are for, and how to operate them, they are less likely to experiment with them on the sly. Don’t forget to give rules for the microwave, including no metal or tin foil.

Reveal where the sharp knives are kept, and demonstrate how to use them properly. Show the wrong way, too. Cut something, and explain that the blade cuts everything that way, even fingers. Explain knife safety rules, such as no walking or running around with a knife. Put it down on the counter, don’t drop it into the sink water, don’t point it at anyone, and never, ever play with it.

Keep It Clean

Keep hair tied back, wear short sleeves, and give everyone an apron. Discuss sanitation and germs. Talk about food on clothing and how it can spread germs to other places and people in the house. Show the proper way to wash hands before handling food and explain when hands need to be rewashed.

Talk about cross-contamination and how one should always use a separate cutting board for meat. Show how to clean as you cook, keeping work areas tidy and keeping up with dirty dishes. Explain that the floor is not a garbage can, and that someone (usually the messiest one) needs to sweep it after the cooking is complete.

Teacher Training

There is no curriculum to follow when teaching your kids to cook. There is only opportunity and encouragement. Try to be patient, and let them make messes and mistakes. Many of the best lessons are learned from mistakes. If you constantly finish things for them, they will not learn, and the experience will be less interesting for them.

Not all kids show an interest in cooking, which is fine. Not everyone has to love it. Everyone does need to learn basic skills to feed themselves, and to pull their weight with the family chores. For these kids, keep the lessons as short and as delicious as you can.