Fondue for Kids

Kids love fondue, and its no wonder why.  It’s a hands-on, interactive meal that allows them to pick and choose their own morsels.  Fondue for kids doesn’t need to be much different than fondue for adults.  It’s important to remind kids about fondue etiquette:

1. Don’t use your hands to dip.
2. Don’t double dip.
3. Do your best to keep the dipping fork from touching your mouth.

Fondue for kids is easy and fun.  Serving bite sized pieces of bread, cooked meat, and vegetables with a cheese sauce is sure to please your kids.  Or, serve a dessert fondue for your kids to enjoy with you.

Fondue with kids is also a great way to introduce children to the kitchen. It's a wonderful opportunity to teach them basic kitchen skills like preparation, safety, and cleanup. Children love to be involved with what the "grown-ups" are doing and having a few extra sets of helping hands can often be quite a blessing.

One of the best ways to begin is by showing children a simple task, such as cutting up bananas (with a dull butter knife) or letting them arrange vegetables on a platter in a fun design. Start by explaining what you're doing and why - for example "Now we're going to cut up the bananas into small pieces so that they are easy to dip into the fondue pot." Be sure to demonstrate proper ways of food preparation especially if you are going to let your child try cutting, slicing, or others ways of food preparation that may pose a hazard and always be sure to congratulate them on a job well done. This allows children to feel like they are part of the kitchen without posing any serious risks to their safety. Fondue offers lots of fun opportunities for children to learn and grow in their culinary skills and is a great way for parents and kids to connect.

A method that often works well for Fondue is to have two separate Fondue pots - one for children and one for adults. A smaller pot can be placed on a smaller table for the kids and a larger one can be set up for the adults. Parents can create a small plate of treats for their kids to dip in the Fondue which helps keep the main pot of fondue clean and the main serving areas free of small hands that may not be sanitary.

This also allows the kids to feel special because they have their own pot of fondue just like the adults and get to have some practice in feeding themselves from the pot. Remember to put down a plastic tablecloth that can easily be wiped clean and to have plenty of napkins available!

To find some great recipes for fondue check out Fondue Recipes or Fondue Menus and be sure to check out Ten Tips For Great Fondue to make your fondue night with your kids a big success!