Teaching your Kids to Organize the Pantry Activity Booklet

I have begun to realize that organizing for meal planning can be my kid’s play and learning time! Even if the job does take twice as long you can organize a pantry and teach your kids how to organize as well! Kids have to be taught how to organize and manage their belongings as well as slowly learn that a home needs to be organized as well.

The everyday chores like organizing a pantry can be opportunities to teach life skills! Even though my kids are still very young I know they learn by demonstration and by doing! My background is a First Grade teacher so this goes as no surprise that I usually turn everything into a teaching opportunity!

• Be prepared with your resources printed  – “Organize Your Pantry Activity Booklet for Kids”
• Sit down with your kids and explain that they will be helping to organize the pantry.
• If you have young kids I would recommend setting aside a whole morning where you have no other commitments, and you know the kids are well rested before even organizing with them!
• For very young kids I would highly recommend breaking the steps up .  – 7 Steps to Organizing your Pantry
  
• Doing steps 1, 2 , 3 & 4 the night before and then include the kids with steps 5, & 6.
• Have shelf paper measured and cut before to save time.
  
• This can take a morning and it is important when you are teaching kids to realize their capacity and attention span.
• For toddlers and preschoolers you can set the timer for 1/2 hour blocks of time. When the timer goes celebrate your efforts with a  break to your “play” with a snack time, play outside, drawing table, measuring activity with pasta and a few cups, or some mat time in another room.
• If you find it is too difficult with the younger kids then at least there are planned activities that the kids can be directed to that are safe while you continue on with organizing the pantry.
• Accept this will be a messy but great time for learning!
  

• Check off items on the Pantry Labels they can see
• Find and make sure containers have their lids
• Clean containers with a tea towel.
  
• Tick off your 7 Step Process as each step is completed
• Place labels on the bench then talk through which ingredients will go where eg. cans with the can label.
• Locate the code on ingredients to see if the ingredient needs to be thrown out.
• Dust shelves, clean then dry well.
• Clean hands before step 5. – Measure ingredients carefully into plastic containers using a spoon or cup.
• Write a Pantry Stock list and write every item that you do have neatly placed in your pantry

1. Empty the Pantry { tidy / untidy }
2. Place ingredients that are alike together { same / different }
3. Throw out of code or no longer fresh into the bin { old / new  / fresh / rotten / mouldy }
4. Dust shelves, clean and line shelves { clean / dirty }
5. Containerize { full / empty / big / small }
6. Place everything back { before / after }
7. Label containers and storage space. { reading  words / sounding out / letter recognition }

Here are some helpful resources to help to teach your kids how they can organize the pantry. I use all these activities even with my 2 and 3 year old. Not all at once but over a week at different times. With the following resources and for older kids you could add your own ideas to the  “Organizing Your Pantry Booklet”. You could take photos of before and after and really make the most of your morning in the kitchen together while learning at the same time!

Organizing Your Pantry  Kids Booklet includes the following activities for Kids

• Organize Your Pantry 7 Step Process
• Organize your Pantry Supplies Checklist
• Reading Pantry Labels
• Concept to talk about and draw
  
• Before / After Pantry Sheet
• Make a list of the new labels required
• Write a Pantry Stock List

Tagged as: Kids organizing