Getting your kids to muck in and help out in the kitchen is a great way to get them to develop a taste for a wide range of recipes. If they've actually had a hand in creating a particular dish they'll be far more likely to try out something new.

Tips for little chefs

Before you begin:

• Decide in advance on a suitable recipe for your child's age and that you know they'll love
• Make sure you have all the ingredients
• Wash hands, be prepared for mess and wear aprons.

Give children tasks that suit their age. If they're not old enough to work with knives yet, cook something that involves some kneading or rolling out the pastry. As they become more confident they could cut out shapes with pastry cutters or start mixing ingredients in a bowl.

There are plenty of fun things you can create which don't need to be cooked, if they're just starting out. Children's activity books and comics are a good place to look for ideas for exotic animals that can be made from fruit and vegetables and a few cocktail sticks. They might not eat it all up, but who can resist a carrot arm to nibble on, or a red pepper leg!

Cooking with children can be a great learning opportunity. They can start to understand where food comes from - which foods come from plants and the difference between proteins and vegetables - and they can even practise their sums as they measure the ingredients.

Once they've mastered the basics, encourage them to cook a meal for the grown-ups. It will help their independence and really boost their confidence - especially if you ask for more!

Making pizza is an easy place to start and great fun to do with a friend. Help them roll out shop-bought pizza dough and smooth over the tomato base and some grated mozzarella cheese and then leave them to choose their own toppings. You could include ham, tinned sweet corn, mushrooms and red peppers.

If your children need further encouragement that cooking is cool, take them to see Ratatouille, the latest hit from Pixar, in which Remy the rat has a burning desire to cook. Look out for your free cinema ticket on packs of Bold2in1. To find out more log on to www.getmorewithbold.com

Cooking is a great skill for children to learn, and this way your own favourite recipes can be passed down to generations to come!