I have fond memories of cooking with my mom when I was young.  I also have  memories of cooking with my grandmothers.  What a gift these memories are.  I have tried to continue the legacy by inviting my children to cook with me from very early on.  All three joined me in the kitchen once they could stand.  We started with washing fruits and veggies.  They could stand at the sink and wash fruits and veggies while I chopped and prepared dinner.  It wasn’t long before they wore choosing and preparing their own recipes.  We had a few key tools that helped the process:

An apron A strainer for the sink
A bowl for veggies