Some of my best memories of the holidays revolve around food—pies lining the counter the night before Thanksgiving, marshmallow topped sweet potatoes (generally burned and needing to be redone at least once because of all the distractions in the kitchen), and juicy turkey covered in cranberry sauce.

Food can be the foundation of wonderful family traditions for children. Parents can help kids learn valuable life skills and create wonderful memories with their children by bringing them into the kitchen and letting them participate in holiday food preparation.

Karen Whitehead, owner of Captain Cook's Culinary Academy for Kids has some great tips for cooking with your kids this holiday season. 

You may be surprised at how many tasks kids can help with in the kitchen and, Karen says, if kids "have a hand in making the recipe, helping you with it, and being in tune to what is in it they will at least try it so it's a great way to get kids to eat food they wouldn't normally eat". 

Use Kid-Friendly Kitchen Tools

Kids can do a lot with some of the tools you may already have in your kitchen. My own kids love using an egg slicer to slice strawberries, eggs, or olives. Karen Whitehead recommends having your kids cut fruits and soft vegetables with plastic lettuce knives because they are not as sharp as stainless steel. Wooden spoons are easy for small hands to hold and kitchen scissors are perfect for cutting anything from herbs to meat. 

Younger kids can be safely brought up to counter height so they can work comfortably using The Learning Tower from Little Partners, an adjustable step stool that prevents tip-over accidents and keeps children safe from falls. 

Give your Children Age-Appropriate Kitchen Tasks

Cooking is a fantastic educational opportunity for kids of all ages. Not only does cooking teach your children life skills that their future roommates are sure to appreciate, but it can help strengthen reading skills, teach math concepts such as addition and fractions, and help kids learn to follow directions. Younger kids can strengthen large and small motor skills and have a great sensory experience in the kitchen. 

Karen suggests having kids wash fruits and vegetables, hull strawberries, trim green beans with their fingers, tear lettuce or herbs, crack eggs, and stir. Older children can practice basic knife skills with supervision and younger kids can play with a spoon and a bowl while you cook.

Don't be a perfectionist

Your children are learning, and in order to do that, they need to make a few mistakes. Resist the urge to "fix" your child's work and use the opportunity to make them feel good about themselves and what they have done. Karen says, "It is perfect in their eyes if you let them do it their way". 

If your child makes a mistake, you can always start over. Mistakes in the kitchen are great opportunities to learn and are a necessary process for any young chef.

Don't Worry About the Mess

When cooking with your kids, messes just come with the territory. It's important to remember that you aren't just cooking, you are creating memories with your child—and you don't want those memories to be of you stressing out over every spill. When looking at things from that perspective, the mess doesn't really matter. Cleaning up can even be part of the fun. Have your child help you with the cleanup when you are done cooking and make it a fun experience from start to finish.

For more information about cooking with your kids, visit Captain Cook's Culinary Academy for Kids.