Kids love cooking. They get to squidge things with their little hands, create wonderful smells and eat the yummy product of their hard work at the end of it. For parents, the benefits are also plentiful. You're spending precious time with your child – perhaps teaching them an essential life skill or two – it's inexpensive and best of all, you can do it right in your own kitchen.

But what is the best age for a child to learn to cook? How do you make sure it’s safe? And who’s going to tidy up that mess afterwards? Here are some invaluable tips and tricks so that both you and your child enjoy this experience together.

Kids as young as two can cook, given the right recipe. For toddlers and young children, select a simple recipe that is visually appealing and gives them plenty of opportunity to get stuck in with their hands, whether that’s kneading dough or decorating biscuits. Older children will enjoy these too, but may also find making simple versions of everyday classics, like rice or pasta dishes, very satisfying.

Here’s where it gets tricky for you as a parent. But if you want a child who’s confident in the kitchen, you have to resist the urge to take over. That means putting up with wonky cutting, overworked dough and plenty of spills. They'll also be much slower than you at basic tasks. Be patient and remember that you’re there to guide them through – it will pay off in the future.

Kids get a great sense of accomplishment doing some of the chopping, and it’s the perfect chance to teach them how to be safe in the kitchen. Consider investing in a set of child-safe knives, which have rounded tips, blades that aren’t too sharp and easy-grip handles. A pair of safety scissors for cutting herbs and pastry is also a good idea.

Cooking with kids is all about learning through play, so encourage your child to devise a couple of little experiments along the way. What happens if you take a bit of the dough and add some water to it? If the recipe calls for basil but you only have oregano or cumin, which would work better? By giving them a safe space to indulge their curiosity and make a few mistakes, you’ll teach them flexibility – and that most kitchen disasters can be fixed.

Just as it makes sense to get them prepping, kids also need to learn how to tidy up. Make it fun by singing a tidy-up song and letting them scrub, rinse and stack everything that’s been used. Most kids love playing with warm, sudsy water, so hopefully very little persuasion will be needed.

Here are some kid-friendly suggestions for you to try. Recipes for these can be found easily online, including vegan or vegetarian versions.

1. Butter cookies. This kitchen classic only needs a few basic ingredients and after all that fun rolling and cutting the dough, you get to decorate them too. Make triangles decorated with silver balls and green icing for a Christmas twist, or pop chocolate mini eggs on top at Easter.

2. Pizza. Pizza dough is really easy to make from scratch, and kids will love kneading and shaping it, then seeing it double in size as it proves. And the toppings? Their imagination is the only limit.

3. Scones. These are easy to make, plus can be taken in a sweet or savoury direction. Try cheese and chive scones (get your kids cutting with those scissors) or classic raisin scones with heapings of jam and cream.

4. Fruit kebabs. There’s something inherently yummy about food on a stick, and that goes for fruit too. Choose a selection of whatever’s in season, making sure you’ve got lots of different colours. Get your child to cut the fruit and thread it on a skewer – just watch out they don’t keep popping it in their mouth first!

Whether on a rainy afternoon or a special holiday, cooking is a lovely way to spend time with your kids. Have fun!