I wanted to write a post similar to my Office Activities one but for when you are in the kitchen. My son and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Our family room doubles as our playroom right now, and it is open to our kitchen. Whether I am working or just trying to cook dinner, I need activities for my son to do in the kitchen next to me, without needing much of my attention. Here are some common and some different ideas for you to try!

Pretend Cooking

My son is at the age where he wants to do what I am doing, like cooking. I know there are some cool Montessori kitchen tools that parents use, but I haven’t gotten around to buying them. Let me know if you have tried them and are worth it. I just use things I have around the kitchen. I like to put everything on a cookie sheet to “try” and contain the mess. I will generally put a larger bowl in the middle, then give a couple of measuring cups with different ingredients so that he can pour them into the bowl. I give him a little whisk and some measuring spoons for him to stir and mix the ingredients. I like to use cheaper ingredients because I know I’ll just have to throw it away later, so I’ve used flour, sugar, oats, rice, dry pasta, water, etc. I’ll refill the measuring cups occasionally so that he can pour new stuff in and stay occupied. Although it makes a mess, he has fun and stays entertained for a long time. 

Apples in a Basket

This was an impromptu activity one day when I was working on a time-sensitive task, and it ended up being a really good one. I literally gave him a basket full of apples and he had fun taking the apples out and putting them back him. I think it was an extra fun activity because he could take bites out of the apples while playing. 

Washing / Playing with Water

This activity is only good if you have a stool where they can reach the sink. He’ll stand on his safe stool and play in the water and play with the soap. Sometimes I’ll give him some cups for him to fill up with water or give him a cleaning brush so he can “clean” the counter or the sink. I like to drape a towel over the sink next to his belly so it absorbs some of the water and keeps his shirt drier. Or I’ll take his shirt off so it doesn’t get wet.

Play Dough

Easy and cheap. My son doesn’t put stuff in his mouth, so I buy cheap Play-Doh from Walmart, and he has a lot of fun. If your child puts things in their mouth, you can look up some easy, taste-friendly recipes online.

Coloring

My son always has access to crayons and paper, so it is a default activity for the kitchen. I also have a whiteboard with markers hanging on my fridge for another fun coloring option.

In my kitchen, I have a high chair for my son so he can sit at the table, and I also have a stool for my son to stand in so he can reach the counter. Most of his activities take place while he’s on the stool. The stool was a really good buy, and I encourage y’all to check them out too. To keep his crayons, papers, and playdough organized (or at least put away at night), I bought a cheap plastic bin from the dollar store that fits everything in it. That way, it can be on the counter during the day, but at night, I can put the bin on the stool and my counters are clean. 

Let me know if any of these ideas helped!