“Little Cook Boxes allow parents and kids to bond in the kitchen and reduce dreaded screen time”

Little Cook Box produces cook-it-yourself meal kits designed to get young children cooking and having fun in the kitchen. After receiving four sample boxes – Scrummy Smoked Fishcakes, Crazy Chicken Goujons, Sizzling Stir Fry Noodles and Crackin’ Calzone – my six-year-old son and I tried cooking with them at home after school.

The boxes are priced at £19.95 for four meal kits (at the time of writing), and each kit is supposed to serve one, but we found each created enough of a meal to serve the cook’s two-year-old sister too, plus allow Dad a small bite. The four kits arrived in a large, chilled box and all the fresh ingredients are supplied in each pack (you need one or two store-cupboard extras such as flour and oil). The recipes are simple and easy to follow, written in large type on the back of each pack so little ones can follow the steps.

We donned aprons, washed hands and got creating. The ingredients are basic but decent quality and cooking with the meal kits was simple and fun: we both found it rewarding to cook together.  My son is a picky eater but he actually even enjoyed cooking the one meal he didn’t fancy eating (and in the end decided to give it a tentative taste). Overall, Little Cook Boxes provide a good introduction to cooking for children. They also allow parents and kids to bond over a shared activity, and – so important these days – offer a strong constructive diversion away from the dreaded screen time (TV, computer and phone). Over to my son, Enzo…

“Me and my Dad cooked with four Little Cook Boxes; my favourite was chicken goujons. I liked cooking with the boxes because they were suitable for me. At first I thought they would be too advanced… but they turned out to be simple. I followed the instructions and my Dad helped me. The best thing about it was being able to cook with my Daddy and then sit down and eat it. There was some left for my little sister too and she loved it!”

By Enzo Wright, aged 6

The author:

Enzo is the founder's son and lives in Leicestershire. He loves eating pizza, making a mess and searching for the best chocolate producers in the world.