Kids in the Kitchen is a new program provided by the Todd County Extension Office that is teaching kids how to cook healthy snacks and meals in the kitchen as well as bring parents together at the end of each class to taste  and learn from their child/children.  This proggram also developed their self-confidence and built skills such as reading, math, and following instructions while also teaching about nutrition, hand washing and safety. Todd County Extension's Kids in the Kitchen program combines all these elements in a fun, hands on club for Todd County youth. The Todd County 4-H Youth Development Agent, NEP assistant and a 4-H Volunteer taught five sessions of “Kids in the Kitchen" after school to teach foods, nutrition and cooking skills. Ten 4-H youth participated in cooking, nutrition, and food safety hands-on activities for 5 sessions. Students were taught food preparation skills, measuring skills, kitchen safety, and the importance of nutrition. Special emphasis was placed on hand washing, with students being prompted to wash their hands for 20 seconds at a time.  All 100% percent said they learned the importance of proper hand washing.

End-of-session focus group of the  participants revealed the following:  

100% practiced correct measuring techniques

91% learned the importance of dairy foods for calcium for their bones 

95% gained valuable “Choose My Plate” nutrition information.

99% tasted new foods and found they liked them. 

100% of the parents learned a new recipe from their child/children.

After making  five healthy recipes, 85% of the youth planned to make three or more of the healthy snacks for their families. When asked an open response question about the most important thing they learned, 50% said "trying new foods is important" in their answers.  

As the Covid-19 pandemic shut our face to face meetings down, 2 of the 4-H youth continued their learning through a 4-H online bake a long.  So their learning of kitchen skills and new recipes continued.