Organising cooking
First
 Send home the Tasting and making
permission slip to check for allergies,
religious or cultural reasons why children
may not be able to prepare or taste
certain foods.
 Put aside some time to show children
how to wash their hands properly:
 wet hands with warm water;
 lather soap;
 wash between fingers, thumbs, backs
and palms of hands and wrists;
 rinse with water;
 dry all the parts of the hands,
thoroughly.
Ingredients
 Plan for the children to work in pairs or small groups
to reduce the amount of ingredients needed.
 Buy the ingredients for the recipe. Check the date
marks to make sure the food will be in-date when it
is needed.
 Store the ingredients correctly.
 If necessary, partly
prepare some ingredients
before the cooking session,
e.g. halve a pepper.
Equipment
 Check that all equipment is clean and in good
working order.
 Check the equipment is appropriate for the size of
the children’s hands – you may need smaller knives
and kitchen scissors.
Your room

Organise your classroom. It is usually
useful to have children sat in small groups
around a table so they can share
ingredients and equipment which can
be placed in the middle.

Organise any adult help you may need,
e.g. a teaching assistant, parent/carer
volunteer. Make sure they are clear
about the support you will need and your
hygiene and safety expectations.

Cover the classroom tables with clean
plastic cloths.

Arrange the equipment and ingredients
on the tables.

Display the recipe – perhaps on an
interactive whiteboard.
The children
 Explain to the children what they will be making. You
could play a video of the recipe or talk though the
recipe steps.
 Demonstrate how to prepare the
recipe ingredients. Emphasise
different techniques and how to
work safely. Children could take
it in turns to spot check each other.
 Explain to the children how you want them to work.
Will they share the preparation of each ingredient or
do one recipe step each?
Getting ready to cook
It is important to get ready to cook so the food we make is
safe to eat. We must all:
 tie back long hair;
 roll up long sleeves;
 take off all jewellery (including watches);
 put on an apron;
 wash hands with warm, soapy water and dry them
thoroughly.
What to do if…
 You need to sneeze or cough
Move away from the cooking
area, blow your nose or cough
and then wash your hands.
 You need to use the toilet
Remove your apron and leave it
in the classroom. Go to the toilet.
Wash your hands properly with
soap and water. Dry your hands.