Kids in the Kitchen 3-Year Olds •Wash fruits and vegetables •Stir ingredients in a bowl •Tear lettuce •Pour liquids 4-Year Olds •Grease pans •Open packages •Peel oranges or hard-cooked eggs •Snip fresh herbs with dull scissors •Mash bananas with a fork 5-to 6-Year Olds •Measure ingredients •Cut soft foods with a blunt knife •Set the table •Garnish food 7-to 8-Year Olds •Help plan the meal •Roll and shape cookies •Beat ingredients with a whisk •Find ingredients in a cabinet or spice rack •Make a salad 9- to 12-Year Olds •Open cans •Use a microwave oven •Prepare simple recipes with few ingredients •Use an oven (with supervision) •Use a knife (with supervision) •Shred cheese and vegetables 13- to 16-Year Olds •Prepare recipes with multiple ingredients •Prepare recipes independently 10 Safety Rules 1.Check that the oven and other cooking appliances are turned off before you leave the kitchen. 2.Keep electrical appliances away from water to avoid shocks. Stay away from electrical sockets, especially if your hands are wet. 3.If you burn yourself, tell an adult immediately and hold the burned area under cool running water. 4.Don't put knives or other sharp objects into a sink full of water. Someone could reach in and get hurt. 5.Watch out for sharp knives. Let an adult cut or slice foods or help you do it. 6.Never put water on a cooking fire -- it could make the fire bigger. Ask an adult for help! Put out a fire with a fire extinguisher. If the fire is small, it can be put out with baking soda or smothered with a lid. Leave the house and call 911 if the fire has leaping flames. 7.Don't put cooked food on an unwashed plate or cutting board that held raw food. Always use a clean plate. 8.Never add water to a pan that has hot oil in it. It could make the oil splatter and burn someone. 9.Always turn pot handles in toward the back of the rangetop. This way no one can bump into them and knock the pot over. 10.Keep paper towels, dish towels and pot holders away from the rangetop so they don't catch on fire.