If you allow your children to enter the kitchen you should first establish some basic sanitary and behavioural norms. Show them what they cannot touch, such as sharp and inflammable utensils. But it�s best not to ban them but to explain why they shouldn�t do something. If you do this, they will think you are treating them as adults and you�ll strengthen their sense of responsibility.

As soon as you�ve established some basic norms, look for a good spot for them to work. Sit them down by a table and give them all the utensils they�re going to need to prevent them from getting up the whole time and looking through the drawers. Now that you�re ready, here are a few dishes to try with your kids.

Banana slices with crushed biscuit
This is one of the most popular fruits among children, in that it is sweet and easy to chew. To make it you will need:
- 2 or 3 bananas.
- 6 rich tea-style biscuits.
- A little cinnamon.
- A spreading knife.
- A wooden rolling pin.

This simple and delicious dish is perfect for children. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
1. Peel the bananas and put each one in a dish. Cut them into slices with the spreading knife, ensuring they are the same size. Use a spreading knife because bananas are soft enough not to need a sharp knife, which could be dangerous to your child.
2. Roll the biscuits into a clean cloth. Roll the pin over them and crush them. The biscuits will soon turn to crumbs which you can sprinkle over the bananas.
3. Now it�s time to decorate the dessert. In each plate you can create different designs using the banana slices: a pyramid, a triangle, a circle, whatever comes to mind. Encourage your children to use their imagination. As soon as the figures are ready, sprinkle on the biscuit crumbs you prepared earlier. The amount will depend on how much you like biscuits. For a final touch, sprinkle a little cinnamon on the banana and biscuits for decoration, and munch away!

Other ideas
Take advantage of spare dough -when making doughnuts and fairy cakes-. Give your children a little dough for them to create their own designs. Dough is similar to plasticine and your children will be thrilled to later eat their own creations.

They can also help you to prepare a fruit salad. Fruit de-corkers are great fun for children to use. They are sold in kitchen utensil shops and are used to remove small (usually round) portions of fruit. You can make fruit salads with melon or water melon balls (easy for them since these are very soft fruits), peach or pear triangles.

As you can see, there are endless possibilities. Try to remember recipes from your childhood that your own children may like and practise with them. They will soon become genuine cooks.