When picking a book or an activity for Rémy, my number one rule is to lean into ideas that he has shown interest in already. Then I take those ideas in new directions that he hasn’t explored yet. Every time I follow the rule, I see excitement, engagement, and a level of comfort that allows him to meet new challenges.
So I’ve been looking for ways to support his love for cooking. This mostly means providing ample opportunity for him to help in the kitchen. I try to include him in all our breakfast prep, and he’s gotten to the point where he prepares most of his snacks.
But there are boundaries within these activities. There are steps to follow, and things you need to get done. There really isn’t room for him to freely play. For that, I need to provide something else entirely.
So I wanted to introduce him to ideas around being a chef. I couldn’t think of anyone better to look to than Julia Child. She was everything that I admire in a creative person - driven, brave, thoughtful, and all with a lighthearted touch.
I started with finding a book that would give us a peek into who Ms. Child was and her relationship with cooking. Bon Appetit! The Delicious Life of Julia Child is a delightful book, with exuberant illustrations. It gives a lot of great information on the famous chef, borrowing some playful storytelling techniques from graphic novels.
This book would feel right at home in the hands of a 9-10 year old, and is therefore decidedly too long and dense for a toddler to get through in one sitting. I’m ok with that. I simply read until he gets tired and is ready to move on, then I mark the spot and come back to it the next time he picks the book. It’s like a chapter book, only the chapters are really short.
He has enjoyed the book, pulling it out of the book basket a couple times in a day. We read through bits, but also just talk about what’s going on in the pictures. I can see him really growing into this book over time.
Once we are in the chef mindset, it’s time for some Julia Child inspired play. My main goals for the bin: 1) create something that captures the loveliness of the french cuisine that Julia loved so well, 2) create something that allows him to freely explore major cooking actions like scooping, stirring, and pouring, 3) provide additional items that could be used not only for cooking but would promote other types of play.
Here’s what I landed on:
A copper boot tray for the base of the bin. I know most opt for a plastic storage bin with higher sides, but I like that this is somewhat shallow. Sure, he will drop things on the ground, but that’s why I have a dropcloth down.
Bag of rice. At this point, this is my go-to sensory bin base, mostly because I don’t have to worry about him putting it in his mouth.
Grandma’s copper lobster form. I’ve always loved these old fashioned forms, and they would have been right at home in Julia’s kitchen. He loved turning it over and pouring rice in.
Stainless steel pan from Melisa & Doug set. This is one of the pans that normally sit on the shelves in his kitchen. A lot of rice got transferred in and out of this thing during the course of play.
Stainless steel pitcher and cup. These are items that see a lot of use during meal time, but here they were employed for pouring practice.
Stainless steel measuring cup. He’s been working on his measuring cup skills when we make breakfast, but this really allowed him to practice over and over.
Large and small spoons. These were used for scooping, stirring, and transferring.
Small whisk. He’s always been attracted to whisks, and this was a great opportunity to let him explore one.
Wood balls. These were picked up and transferred into the pan, and were poured out by the pitcher.
Egg in cup and pincher puzzles from Lovevery kits. I put these in because the bases could be used as small vessels, and the egg fit in nicely with the play. They also provided him the opportunity to engage in some puzzle play.
I’ve never seen Remy so focused for such a long period of time. During our first session, he did not leave his chair for 45 minutes. That entire time he was deeply engaged, with only the sound of rustling rice breaking the silence.
It’s now been several days of play, and we are about ready to put this bin away. But I know that when it comes back, it’ll be met with the type of excitement Julia had for all of her cooking.
Link to Pinterest Board "Cooking Play for Kids"
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