I can’t say you’re never too young to start cracking eggs, because it does requires a certain amount of dexterity, but I will say that preschoolers can learn this often required baking skill. Carter started this year and has a blast doing it, so if you haven’t tried it yet with kids, you might want to give it a shot.
While you probably crack eggs without thinking too much about the mechanics, the trick to teaching a young baker is to deconstruct the steps:
1) Start by having your child just crack the shell. It’s tricky to master tapping just hard enough, but not too hard. Experiment with whether it’s easier to tap on the side of bowl that you stabilize or the counter. Plan for some messes and practice for as many baking sessions as needed.
2) Once that step is mastered, demonstrate how to insert both thumbs and pull the halves apart. My cracking motion has a bit of flip to it, so Carter’s does, too. Allow for more messes and lots of practice time.
Note: Always have your child use a separate small bowl for cracking eggs one at a time and then pouring each egg in with other ingredients.
I edit a lot of books that cover child development skills. Cracking eggs involves many: hand-eye coordination, tactile exploration, and fine motor skills to name a few. Plus it’s just fun.
