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5 Things Your Kitchen Needs To Make It Multi-Use

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Thanks to the pandemic, there are thousands of families up and down the country that are now juggling working with childcare as well as keeping on top of the daily tasks that need doing. Therefore, if this is you, you’re not alone, and you will be pleased to know there are ways that can make this difficult task much easier. One of those solutions is to make use of multi-use spaces, such as in your kitchen.

Why Multi-Use Spaces?

Thanks to everyone being at home, your kitchen is likely to have been turned into a multiple-use zone, where the kids do their e-learning, you do your home-working, hubby does his work, and one or all of you still have to cook every day. These five tips will help you create a multi-use area that is perfect for busy families just like you.

A Kitchen Island

Kitchen islands, if your kitchen is big enough, are a really great idea for busy parents and families! They provide ample space for you to work on food while the kids work on their school work, and they look so good too.

To really make your kitchen island multi-use, don’t put the cooker on the islands, as this will mean less work surface space, but keep your island nice and clear. Have a look at granitetransformations.co.uk for some great inspiration for your next kitchen update.

Pop Up Electrical Outlets

If there’s one thing that’s lacking in older homes, it’s a good selection of outlets! Usually, outlets are located on walls. In kitchens, this could mean dangerous wires trailing while the kids (and you) try to charge laptops to do homework or watch TV.

Pop-up electrical outlets are the perfect solution, and when not in use, they can be pushed back into the island out of the way. Perfect!

Good Chairs or Barstools

You’ve probably found yourself doing more homeschooling than you were planning to do over the last twelve months, and if you’re like many busy parents, you’ve also found yourself trying to work at home while the kids do e-learning?

Make this situation better for you all and your bodies by getting good chairs or barstools for your kitchen and bar. Chairs that support your back and help you sit correctly for those long hours behind your laptop will benefit all of you.

Plenty Of Storage

Kitchens aren’t just places to make food anymore, and even if yours is just a food prep kitchen, it’s likely that you’re missing out on vital storage space that can be used to store all kinds of kitchen gadgets and accessories.

Getting a good variety of storage is important here, especially if you’re storing homeschooling supplies next to the cereal.

Easy Clean Surfaces

Last but not least, invest in easy to clean surfaces. More people at home for longer means increased risk in spilled drinks, pen breakages, and of course, the odd crayon finding it’s way onto your work surface.

Go for a nice granite, stone, or lacquered finish for your work surfaces to help with the clean up after the inevitable disaster that’s likely to happen!

Hands-on ‘Cooking’ Projects Your Little Ones Will Love

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Summer is fast approaching, and all the little people will soon be out of school. Whether you have preschoolers or elementary students off for the summer vacation, what will you do to fill those long and tedious days. Of course, every kid looks forward to getting out of school for a couple months, but the anticipation is much more pleasant than the reality of day after day with nothing to fill the hours.

Why not spend some time teaching your little people their way around the kitchen? Kids love to ‘cook’ with mom and there are quite a few easy recipes Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice suggest for children.

When Is Cooking Not Cooking?

The funny thing about the term ‘cooking’ is that we aren’t always referring to something actually cooked or baked. How many times do you tell the family that you are cooking dinner when actually you are making tuna sandwiches to be served with chips?

We use the term loosely instead of the more properly descriptive ‘preparing dinner,’ and so kids will think they are cooking even when no heat is used! However, even when you must use the stove or oven, there are prep or garnish steps which kids can help with at no danger to them.

Let Them Add the Ingredients

Have you ever noticed how much fun kids have dumping things out? Just leave your shampoo on the side of the tub during bath time one night and see how quickly your little ones will pour it all into the tub with them. They will then proceed to splash around until bubbles are formed. Then there is the sand pail at the beach. Most kids will work diligently to fill it up, only to dump it out and start all over again.

If you pre-measure your ingredients when baking a cake, for instance, let the little ones pour the ingredients into the bowl as you need them. Not only will they believe they are ‘cooking’ but they will begin to develop stronger motor skills as well. It does take coordination to hit the bowl after all!

Shaping and Cutting

Kids also like to get that hands-on experience. It is one of the most effective ways they learn. One night, make meatballs and let the kids form the balls after you’ve mixed all the ingredients. Did you know that this can also be a lesson in personal hygiene? By teaching them the 20-second rule of handwashing before working with food and, of course, after as well, you are teaching them one of life’s most important lessons.

So many germs are spread by contact that it is a good idea to teach kids early on the importance of scrubbing away those invisible creatures! Don’t forget, when you make sugar cookies, let the kids do the shape cutting while you put them on the cookie sheet and into the oven. It’s loads of fun without letting them anywhere near that dangerously hot oven. From shaping to ‘cutting’ to the frosting, there are many ways kids can help you cook while learning some of life’s most valuable lessons. Spending time with mom in the kitchen is the best part of all! See for yourself.