Winter holidays are quickly approaching! Many families celebrate by spending hours in the kitchen preparing meals. However, the kitchen can be a dangerous place for children, with hot ovens, boiling soups, and sharp knives. A few simple prevention tips can go a long way in keeping everyone safer in the kitchen.

1. Keep young children out of the kitchen if possible. Activities like puzzles, books, holiday movies, and recipe prep (that can be done outside of the kitchen) are great ways to keep the kitchen less crowded and the children busy. If your child is eager to help out in the kitchen, read over this guide from the National Fire Protection Association for age-appropriate activities your child can do.
   
2. Use the back burners of your stove, turn pot handles away from the edge, and mark a 3-foot “kids-free zone” around the stove. Using the burners towards the back of the stove with the pot handles turned away from the edge can prevent young children from touching a hot surface or pulling down a hot pot or pan. Outlining a “kids-free zone” shows children that the area is off-limits.

3. Keep appliance cords away from counter edges and out of reach of children. To keep children from pulling appliances down on themselves, tuck away the cords of appliances like blenders, slow cookers, and food processors so that they aren’t close to the edge or dangling off the countertop.

4. Know how to put out kitchen fires. The winter holidays are the peak days for cooking fires. Learn more about putting out cooking fires from the National Fire Protection Association.