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" This weekend, get your kids excited about cooking. If you&amp;#039;re not sure where to begin, use our tips for keeping them happy, helpful and safe, along with recipe and product suggestions.   Try this Kid-Friendly Spread of Middle Eastern Recipes:   Mezze Platter Lemon-Oregano Chicken Skewers Falafel Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce Shredded Carrot &amp;amp;amp; Raisin Salad|      How Kids Can Help\u2014By Age Group   You know best what your child can do; these age-appropriate tasks are just a guide.   Kids 4 to 8:   Squeeze lemons. Use scissors to cut pitas. Put olives into a bowl. Break feta into chunks. Form falafel patties. Press garlic.   Kids 8 to 11:   Make falafel mixture. Peel and shred carrots and cucumbers. Use scissors or a small serrated knife to cut lettuce, pitas and scallions.   Kids 11 and Up:   Use knives to cut cucumber into slices and tomatoes into wedges. Cut lemon into wedges. Skewer chicken and lemons. Supervise and assist younger brothers and sisters with their tasks.      5 Kid-Friendly Cooking Tools   1. Zak! Designs Colorways 4 piece Mini Bowl Set, $11.99; Zak.com 2. Kuhn Rikon Mouse Measuring Cups, $14; KuhnRikon.com 3. Head Chefs Icing Spreader, $10; ChefTools.com 4. Dog Knife, $10; KuhnRikon.com 5. Duck Snippers, $18; KuhnRikon.com    Tips for Choosing Tools You Have   Use small plastic bowls\u2014easy to handle, hard to break.   Make kids feel special\u2014buy a set of measuring cups in fun shapes and colors just for them.   Have kids use a serrated knife to cut vegetables.The back-and-forth sawing motion of a serrated knife is more stable than the up-and-down pressing motion of a regular knife.   If your child is too young to use a knife, start with scissors. They work well to cut soft items.      How to Plan Ahead   Mise en place is a French phrase that means &amp;quot;everything in its place.&amp;quot; Restaurant kitchens work efficiently because chefs organize their tools and ingredients ahead of time. Set up your mise en place by creating workstations with everything your little ones will need to accomplish a task before you begin cooking. That way you won&amp;#039;t spend the whole time answering, &amp;quot;Mommy, where is the\u2026?&amp;quot;   How Kids Benefit from Cooking with You   \u25CF Shows them how to work as part of a team \u25CF Reinforces logical thinking, following directions and organizational skills \u25CF Boosts their confidence (just make sure to praise them when they do something right and overlook the spills) \u25CF Encourages creativity\u2014let them know it&amp;#039;s OK to improvise   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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