KANSAS
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
BILL GRAVES, GOVERNOR
Gary R. Mitchell, Secretary

November 30, 1998

Contact: Jan Stegelman, 785-296-1223

Kitchen Safety a Must When Cooking Up Holiday Treats With Children

With the holidays comes a festive spirit, plenty of shopping, and for many, a flurry of cooking and kitchen activity. Children are especially excited, too, and may want to help parents and care givers prepare holiday food. Whether decorating cookies or stirring gravy over a stove top, children need close adult supervision in and around the kitchen.

"It's very easy to become caught up in the holiday festivities and the idea of doing things as a family, said Jan Stegelman of the Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition. "Helping out with cooking can be a wonderful learning experience for children, but it also can be dangerous. It's crucial for parents to keep a close eye on the kids and set strict rules for kitchen safety."

The Kansas SAFE KIDS Coalition recommends the following tips for keeping children safe as they learn to help out in the kitchen:

• Be sure you've taken essential safety steps before introducing a child to cooking, such as having a fire extinguisher nearby and posting emergency numbers near the phone.
• Never leave a child unattended in the kitchen. Close supervision is essential, whether children are helping an adult cook or are simply watching.
• Never hold a child while cooking.
• Put pans on back burners and turn all pot handles toward the back of the stove.
• Use caution when heating food and liquids in the microwave.
• Supervise your child when he or she is near or using a microwave and ever let a young child (under ages 10 to 12) remove heated items from the microwave.
• Make sure you and your children wear close-fitting clothing when cooking.
• Never leave cooking food unattended -- it is the number one cause of house fires.
• Place hot foods and liquids away from the edges of counters and tables.
• Pay particular attention to items sitting on tablecloths or place-mats so that children cannot pull hot food or liquid down and scald themselves.
• Unplug appliance cords and keep them tied up and out of children's reach.

Since each child is different, it is important for parents and care givers to consider the developmental level and abilities of their children when it comes to assigning kitchen duties.

Generally, children under age 10 don't fully understand what danger means and therefore should not use the stove, electrical appliances, sharp utensils or handle hot dishes. Younger children can begin helping in the kitchen with basics like washing vegetables and fruits, or mixing foods that don't require sharp knives, appliances or heat.

Following are a few suggested activities and age guidelines the (insert Coalition) recommends parents review to help keep the kitchen a fun, safe place for the family. With close adult supervision children:

• Stir ingredients together in a bowl.
• Rinse foods under cold water.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes in dough
• Use a butter knife or plastic knife to spread peanut butter, or slice soft cheese.
• Squeeze garlic from a garlic press.

• Use electrical kitchen appliances such as a blender, food processor, electric mixer, microwave or toaster oven.

• Chop or slice with a paring knife.
• Use the stove top to turn burners on and off and select oven temperature.
• Flip pancakes on a hot griddle.
• Place a tray of cookies in the oven.
• Peel vegetables.
• Use an electric can opener.
• Shred cheese with a hand grater.
• Children over age 14 can take on more responsibility in the kitchen and can handle tasks such as:
• Operating the stove top without adult supervision.
• Draining cooked spaghetti into a colander.
• Removing a tray of cookies from the oven.