The Oven
Pre-heat before baking anything. Pre-heating means to bring your oven
to the temperature it calls for in a recipe. This usually takes about 15
minutes. It is important to let the oven get to the correct temperature
for the recipe you're making before you put the dish in the oven. Why?
As the oven heats up, it puts out extra heat to catch up to the
temperature it's supposed to be (350 degrees, for example). The oven
temperature will burn—not bake—your food if you put it in while the oven
preheats.
Don't open and peek! When you open the oven door, it lets out heat which will make it take longer to bake your dish. Turn on the inside oven light to peek inside.
Use hot pads or oven mitts when taking items from the oven. Have someone help you if you don't feel comfortable removing hot items from the oven yourself.The Stovetop
Keep the handles of the cooking pans from hanging over the edge of the stove. This keeps you safe from bumping into a handle and spilling the hot liquid on you.Lightly touch the top of a lid on your cook pot to test if you can remove it safely without a hot pad. If it is too hot, then use a hot pad or ask your grown-up assistant to help.
Open the lid of a saucepan or pot away from you. This protects your face and hands from the hot steam.The Microwave
Always ask a grown-up if the dish or bowl you want to use is "microwave-safe." Some dishes even have "microwave-safe" printed on them. Never put foil or anything metal in the microwave.Remember, when you use a microwave, the ingredients inside a dish will be very hot, just like when they come out of an oven.
Remove carefully, and make sure the container is cool to the touch before you pull it out of the microwave. Sometimes even microwave-safe dishes and bowls have a "hot spot" on one side while the other remains cool.