Cleaning as you go is the secret to making cooking fun, more or less.
I'm trying to teach my son this concept. He loves to cook, but he just dumps everything in the sink as he cooks, uses a new utensil for everything, etc. You don't need a new spoon every time you taste your spaghetti sauce.
It's even more fun to cook when you know a parent is going to clean up the mess after your Iron Chef fantasy.