Combining different types of ingredients is a cooking technique that even very young kids pick up easily. There's no heat involved (usually) and you only need enough coordination to keep a spoon in the bowl and a bowl on a table—or a parent's steadying hands! The recipes below will help you help your children master the art of the stir.

Necessary equipment: Bowls and spoons of assorted sizes to see which pair make the most comfortable fit for each little chef.

Tips and tricks:

• Stirring seems simple but how you hold a mixing spoon or a whisk will either make it easy or make a mess. Ask your kids to try different holds and see which way feels steadiest for them.


• You don't always need a utensil to mix it up—try tossing salad veggies with your hands and see how much easier that is than using salad tongs!


• This is a good place to talk about cleanliness in the kitchen when you don’t throw the dirty spoon right onto the table, but set it into a spoon rest or straight into the sink or dishwasher.

Culinary goal: To be able to successfully combine ingredients together in a bowl or pot using a spoon or other utensil.

1.The basics: Although it seems like second nature to adults in a kitchen, many kids find even the simple act of combining different ingredients in a bowl fun and exciting. It's one of the easiest ways to "cook" something in the kitchen and still be rewarded with delicious results. Why not try tossing together a simple fruit salad to start?

Recipe to try: Fruit Salad

2. "Combining well": The trick here is to make sure that everything really gets combined well—this is where you may want to get out a spatula to help kids see how much gets left at the bottom of the bowl even with the most careful stir. Carrot cake is a great recipe to practice with because it’s so easy to see if the bright orange carrot pieces are clumped together or evenly spread throughout. Stirring melted chocolate into anything white has an even more dramatic effect.

Recipe to try: Signature Homemade Carrot Cake

3. Step-by-step combining: Sometimes you need to combine different sets of ingredients at different times because some items mix better than others, i.e., liquids with liquids and dry ingredients with dry ingredients. Try out the principle by making a green salad with lots of different veggies and a creamy ranch dressing. Toss everything together and imagine what would happen if you started with everything in one bowl!

Make a simple ranch dressing by combining mayonnaise, buttermilk, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, dill, salt, and a bit of sugar to taste.

4. Stirring over heat: Older kids can try their hand at safe stirring and whisking over a hot stove—and what better way to practice than with chocolate pudding? It’s a quick dessert that relies on the chef's ability to make sure the ingredients are well-combined and stay moving on top of the stove.

Recipe to try: Chocolate Pudding

Come back next month when we'll talk about kneading!