Always wash and dry your hands before you begin. If your hair is long, tie it back while you're cooking. You should also wear an apron to protect your clothes (plastic ones work very well) and remember to roll up your sleeves!

It will be very useful to have an adult around to help you when you work. You'll often need to use sharp knives, scissors or electrical equipment when preparing food, so make sure you're especially careful with these as they can be dangerous.

You should also ask an adult to help you when you're transferring food to or from the oven or stove top. Always turn saucepan or frying pan handles to the side of the cooker, so you don't catch yourself on them, and use oven gloves when you're handling hot things. Otherwise you're likely to drop your food all over the floor, as well as burn your fingers!