• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Living Montessori Now

Information and Inspiration for Parents and Teachers

  • HOME
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • PR/Advertise
    • Grab A Button
  • About Montessori
    • About Montessori
    • Resources
    • ABCs of Montessori
    • Overview
    • Principles
    • Free Printables
    • Materials
    • Homeschool Classroom and Materials
    • Techniques
    • Training
    • Inspiration
  • Activities
    • Art
    • Cultural
    • Language
    • Math
    • Practical Life
    • Practical Life – Grace and Courtesy
    • Sensorial
    • Activity of the Week
    • Monthly Themed Activities
  • Homeschooling
    • Homeschooling
    • Homeschool High School
    • Montessori Homeschool Classroom and Materials
    • Unit Studies
  • Celebrations
    • Holidays and Celebrations
    • Calendar Observances
  • Giveaways
    • Giveaway Linky
    • Giveaway Linky List
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Products
    • My Products
    • Programs
    • Disclosures
      • Privacy Policy

Montessori Toddlers in the Kitchen: Food Preparation and Healthy Eating Activities

March 27, 2018 By Deb Chitwood Leave a Comment

Previous article: How to Use Resurrection Eggs the Montessori Way
Next article: FREE Make Way for Ducklings Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
Pin51
Share4
Tweet
Stumble
Shares 55

Many parents feel overwhelmed at the thought of trying to teach children cooking and baking skills. But young children love food preparation activities. Food preparation activities are fun and perfect even for toddlers. And children are never too young to get started with healthy eating habits.

Montessori Toddlers in the Kitchen: Food Preparation and Healthy Eating Activities

Montessori Food Preparation Activities for Toddlers

Here are a number of Montessori food preparation activities that work well for toddlers. These are all activities I used with my now-4-year-old granddaughter, Zoey, when she was a toddler. I’ll list the age she was at the time, although we didn’t always do the activities at the earliest possible age. Of course, the age can easily vary according to the toddler and which activities work best in your home or classroom.

You’ll often find videos as well as blog posts with resources for each of these activities in the links below.

Simple Food Preparation Activities for Young Toddlers

 

Montessori Toddler Snack Area

Montessori Toddler Snack Area

One of the best things you can do is have a Montessori toddler snack area available in or near your kitchen. That will encourage your toddler to develop both independence and food preparation skills. Your snack area will naturally change according to your toddler’s age and needs.

With younger toddlers from 1-2 years old, you’ll typically want to isolate one skill. Often, you can think about the skills needed for food preparation activities later on, and just focus on one of those skills. You can start with activities as simple as putting paper cups in the muffin pans.

 

Using a Mortar and Pestle to Grind Oregano at 20 Months

Using a Mortar and Pestle to Grind Oregano at 20 Months

For example, toddlers enjoy using a mortar and pestle. They can use one to grind herbs or a variety of other items. (From “Art Appreciation Activities from Montessori By Mom” post). Are there other kitchen utensils your toddler can learn how to safely use?

Cutting a Banana Practical Life Activity for Toddlers

Cutting a banana was one of my granddaughter’s favorite activities as a toddler. It’s a great introduction to cutting foods with a knife. (See my post and video of my granddaughter at 20 months in “Cutting a Banana Practical Life Activity for Toddlers”)

Pouring Activities at Age 2

Pouring Activities at Age 2

Pouring skills are necessary for so many recipes and other food-preparation activities. That’s a great skill for all ages of toddlers to work on. Both before and after age 2, my granddaughter worked on many pouring skills. (See practical life activities and resources in my “Montessori Services Pouring Activities Review” post.) Working on a variety of skills such as spooning, scooping, and stirring is important for food preparation activities, too.

Food Preparation Activities for Older Toddlers

If you work on simple practical life skills with younger toddlers, by the time they’re 2½, they can do much more complex food preparation activities. If you haven’t done a lot of food preparation activities previously, it’s totally fine to work on simple food preparation activities with older toddlers, too. It’s just awesome if you’re working on food preparation with your toddler!

Note: I helped quite a bit, but Zoey did most of the work in the following food-preparation activities.

Kids' Kitchen: Quick and Delicious Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Zoey’s first big baking project was making flourless peanut butter chocolate chip muffins at 2¼. Note: These posts include recipes that work well with toddlers and preschoolers! My whole family loves these healthy recipes.

Kids' Kitchen: Healthy, Yummy, Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

At almost 2½, Zoey made gluten-free blueberry muffins.

Yummy and Healthy Protein-Rich Popsicles

It just takes a variety of simple skills to make healthy yogurt and berry popsicles.

Cutting a tomato for gluten-free wholegrain avocado sandwiches

Cutting a tomato for gluten-free wholegrain avocado sandwiches

Tea parties can be used to work on many food preparation skills (as well as grace and courtesy!). For our first tea party when Zoey was 2½, she scooped out and mashed an avocado, cut a tomato, and did the work needed to make gluten-free wholegrain avocado sandwiches with herbal tea.

Items for a Healthy and Courteous Teddy Bear Picnic

Items for a Healthy and Courteous Teddy Bear Picnic

For our healthy and courteous Teddy bear picnic, Zoey made mini blueberry muffins, washed fruit for fruit cups, and prepared chamomile tea.

https://livingmontessorinow.com/healthy-frozen-raspberry-yogurt-dessert-dairy-free-gluten-free/

At 2¾, Zoey made a more complex healthy, frozen,raspberry and yogurt dessert for the family.

Tray with Materials for Apple Coring and Slicing Plus Preparing an Apple Snack

Tray with Materials for Apple Coring and Slicing Plus Preparing an Apple Snack

At 2¾, Zoey had lots of fun with apple coring, slicing, and spreading peanut butter for her snack.

Tray for Preparing Ants on a Log

Tray for Preparing Ants on a Log

She loved preparing ants on a log for snack at 2¾.

Vegan, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Pie Squares

By the time she was almost 3, Zoey was ready to make vegan pumpkin pie squares.

Amazon Affiliate:

Montessori Healthy Eating Activities for Toddlers

Introducing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is important in encouraging a lifetime of healthy eating.

Exploring Fruits at 9½ Months

Exploring Fruits at 9½ Months

We did this fruit-exploration activity when my granddaughter was 9½ months old, but it would work very well with young toddlers (from “Shoots and Sprouts Activities + Free Printable from Montessori By Mom” post).

Montessori-Inspired Fruit Matching and Tasting for Toddlers

Fruit matching, smelling, and tasting is a wonderful activity for toddlers at a variety of ages. We have a post and video of my daughter (Zoey’s aunt) and Zoey at age 18 months with a fruit matching and tasting activity (See “Montessori-Inspired Fruit Matching and Tasting for Toddlers.”)

Fruit Rainbow Do-a-Dot Letter F Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers

Fruit Rainbow Do-a-Dot Letter F Tray with Do-a-Dot Markers

I have a free fruit rainbow do-a-dot printable that can be used with a variety of transferring activities for toddlers or used with do-a-dot markers as shown on the tray above.  Older toddlers can be introduced to the concept of eating a rainbow … a great way to focus on healthy eating.

Free Eat-a-Rainbow Cutting Strips

For toddlers who are ready to work on scissor skills with cardstock or paper, I have free eat-a-rainbow cutting strips. These are great for discussions of healthy foods as well as cutting skills.

Older toddlers might also enjoy some of the simpler eat-a-rainbow activities in my “Free Eat-a-Rainbow Printables and Montessori-Inspired Activities” post.

Also, check out the simpler activities in my Montessori-inspired fruit unit and Montessori-inspired vegetable unit.

Montessori Food Preparation Activities for Preschoolers

Montessori-Inspired Food Preparation for Preschoolers

“Montessori-Inspired Food Preparation for Preschoolers” is my roundup post with activities for both toddlers and preschoolers.

2018 Montessori Series – Kids in the Kitchen

This post is part of the 2018 Montessori series! See the posts below for more fun Kids in the Kitchen ideas!

Get Kids Cooking Recipes the Montessori Way | The Natural Homeschool

Montessori Toddlers in the Kitchen: Food Preparation and Healthy Eating Activities | Living Montessori Now

Practical Life for Kids in the Kitchen | Mama’s Happy Hive

In the Kitchen from 12 to 18 Months | The Kavanaugh Report

Deb - Siganture

Montessori at Home or School - How to Teach Grace and Courtesy eBook

Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy! I’m also one of the coauthors of the book Learn with Play – 150+ Activities for Year-round Fun & Learning!

The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.

If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook pagewhere you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), Twitter (blog posts by me and others along with the Parent/Teacher Daily and other interesting information), and Google+ (post updates and Montessori Community). You can find me on bloglovin’,Instagram, and YouTube now, too.






…and get free geography album, Mom Bloggers eBook, and monthly subscriber freebie! 

 I respect your privacy

And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll get two awesome freebies (and a monthly subscriber freebie) in the process!

May be linked to Practical Mondays Link Up, LouLou Girls, Tasty Tuesdays, A Little Bird Told Me Linky Party, Link-ups at Squishable Baby, Sharing Saturday

Related Posts

  • Healthy, Frozen Raspberry and Yogurt Dessert {Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free}Healthy, Frozen Raspberry and Yogurt Dessert {Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free}
  • Ants on a Log Fun Food Preparation for PreschoolersAnts on a Log Fun Food Preparation for Preschoolers
  • Quick and Delicious Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip MuffinsQuick and Delicious Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
  • Montessori Monday – 30+ Breakfasts Kids Can Make for Mothers and FathersMontessori Monday – 30+ Breakfasts Kids Can Make for Mothers and Fathers
  • Fun with Montessori Apple Coring, Slicing, Spreading, and Sharing {Montessori Monday}Fun with Montessori Apple Coring, Slicing, Spreading, and Sharing {Montessori Monday}
  • Healthy, Yummy, Gluten-Free Blueberry MuffinsHealthy, Yummy, Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins
  • How to Make Fluffy and Tasty Coconut Whipped CreamHow to Make Fluffy and Tasty Coconut Whipped Cream
  • Yummy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip MuffinsYummy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Pin51
Share4
Tweet
Stumble
Shares 55

Previous article: How to Use Resurrection Eggs the Montessori Way
Next article: FREE Make Way for Ducklings Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)

Filed Under: Activities - Practical Life, Kids in the Kitchen Tagged With: food preparation activities, food preparation for toddlers, healthy eating for toddlers, kids in the kitchen, Montessori food preparation, practical life, toddler, toddlers

« How to Use Resurrection Eggs the Montessori Way
FREE Make Way for Ducklings Do-a-Dot Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download) »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Giveaway of KHT Montessori 12-Month Online Course and 12 Albums (ARV $330

What Are You Looking For?

Subscribe by Email

    Translate to:

    Powered by Google Translate.

Montessori Crash Course Free Workshop and Course Introduction

Montessori at Home or School - How to Teach Grace and Courtesy

Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle

Learn with Play: 150+ Activities for Year-round Fun and Learning!

Shop Living Montessori Now!

Living Montessori Now Sponsors

Montessori Print Shop

Montessori Compass

Spielgaben

Alison's Montessori

Popular Posts

Categories

Archives

+1 Living Montessori Now!

I Recommend (My Affiliates)

Montessori by Mom

Click here to visit Pin It! Maps, LLC

Shop Montessori Services
Shop For Small Hands

Montessori for the Earth Programs for Infants, Toddlers, Preschool & Elementary

How to Get Kids to Listen without Nagging, Reminding, or Yelling



Free Delivery on all Books at the Book Depository


Essential School Supplies!


Family Time Fitness


Sensory Fix™ for Everyday Sensory Needs

Gymboree Sale On Now!




</aPrinted Alphabet Wood Tracing Board

Footer

Grab My Button

Living Montessori Now

Linky Parties

Montessori Monday Family-Friendly Giveaway Linky

Supervision

The activities shared on this blog require adult supervision at all times. You know which activities are appropriate for your children and/or the children under your care and are responsible for those children's safety.

Connect with LMN



Subscribe by Email


You Can Also Find Me

Bits of PositivityPreK + K SharingSpring Snow Publications

Copyright Deb Chitwood © 2018