Cooking with your children plays such an important part in their development, here are a few ways
- it encourages them to explore new tastes and textures even for the fussy eaters!
- Encouraging them to help you weigh out the ingredients can help develop their independence plus early literacy & maths skills by following the recipe together and talking through each step. Making them feel involved and excited about what you are going to make.
- Pouring, stirring, dividing mixture between cupcake cases develops their hand eye co-ordination. Don’t worry if it’s a bit messy you can give it a wipe afterwards!
- If you are making cupcake why not let their imaginations run wild and let them decorate them or if it’s a bigger cake talk about ideas on how you are going to decorate it when its cooled down.
Try these top tips to make your baking stress free!
- Get all the ingredients, utensils, baking trays etc. out before you start so you are not routing around the cupboards looking for items and so your little ones don’t get bored! Ask them to help set all the ingredients and play a little game as to what they think you might need.
- Set them up at a suitable table they can reach and sit down with them to do it. Get them excited about what you are going to make and ask them to think what it will taste like when it is ready!
- Breaking the recipe down into simple steps helps too, so make sure it is something simple or a recipe that you are familiar making.
- For each step tell them how much you need and get them to help you weigh the ingredients out. I think letting them spoon the flour onto the scales gives them a feeling of independence; that they are doing it and mummy is helping!
- Ask them about the ingredients. For example, ask them if they know what it is and where they think it comes from? What do you think we need to put in next?
- Most kids love getting their hands messy so instead of a spoon let them get stuck in rubbing the butter and flour together!
- Finally, there will be mess and it will take longer than if you were to do it yourself, but the mess can be cleaned up afterwards, you could even encourage your little one to help with the tidying up while you are waiting for it to bake!
- Most importantly enjoy the time with your little one and how proud they are going to be when their masterpiece is finished.
Stuck for ideas? Download our FREE Easy Baking for Kids Recipe E-book. It has 10 fun recipes to bake with your child plus a journal card for each recipe to keep in your memory box.