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The theme of this year's Fire Prevention Week (October 8 - 14) is Prevent Cooking Fires: Watch What You Heat.

Do you like helping out in the kitchen and cooking up tasty snacks for your friends and family? Preparing yummy treats can be lots of fun, but it's important that kids who like to cook know how to be safe in the kitchen. These tips can help you figure out what you're old enough to do on your own - and when it's time to ask a grown-up for help.

Getting started

Before you get cooking, you need to get a grown-up's permission. If you plan to use a recipe, look it over with a grown-up first to decide what you can do on your own and what you need help with. And once you get started, never be afraid to ask for help. Even the best chefs rely on their assistants to help them out in the kitchen.

Helping out is fun

From mixing up cake batter to cutting shapes out of cookie dough, helping a grownup in the kitchen can be lots of fun. So if you're not old enough yet to cook on your own, not to worry; being the chef's helper is the most important job in the kitchen.

All kids are different - and a grownup should always decide what is safe for you to do in the kitchen - but here are some guidelines that you can use.

Kids 3-5 can...

• Get ingredients out of the refrigerator
• Lick the cake batter off of a spoon (yum!)
• Mix ingredients together in a bowl
• Pour liquids into a bowl
• Wash fruits and vegetables off under cold water
• Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes out of cookie dough
  

Kids 6-8 can...

• Open packages
• Use a butter knife to spread frosting, cream cheese, peanut butter or soft cheese
• Peel vegetables
• Measure ingredients
• Stir ingredients in a bowl
• Set the table

Kids 9-12 can...

• Begin to follow a recipe
• Open cans
• Use electrical kitchen appliances, such as a blender, electric mixer, microwave oven or toaster oven when a grownup is present
• Make a salad
• Use a grater to shred cheese and vegetables
• Turn stove burners on and off and select oven temperature when a grown-up is present
• Help plan the meal

Kids 13 & above can...

• Operate the stove or oven without an adult present
• Heat food up in the microwave without an adult present
• Drain cooked pasta into a colander
• Take a tray of cookies out of the oven
  

Reproduced from NFPA's Fire Prevention Week Website, www.firepreventionweek.org. ©2006 NFPA.