Something that I enjoy doing with my kids is allowing them to help me in the kitchen. We are always making up something. So today I am going to share some fun recipes that you could do with your kids that fit the season. So your family fun challenge this week is to get busy in the kitchen making something fun with your family.
Tips for working with kids in the kitchen:1. Patience. Patience. Patience. And one more time, patience. You can not be a control freak in this situation. There will not be exact measurements. There may be extra ingredients thrown in. It is ok. Relax. It is more about the fun of doing it together then having everything turn out perfect.
2. Give each kid a specific task ahead of time so they don't fight over who is going to do what.
Laying out expectations ahead of time will make the process a lot less stressful. Sometimes, I even write down a little chart and write their names and beside that draw a picture of what they will get to do. (I draw pictures b/c they are not reading yet) A little bit of order goes a long way.
3. During down time or when they are waiting their turns I lay out a few different cook books for them to look at. They really enjoy looking through all the pictures and telling me what they want to make next.
4. For more complicated recipes I found it handy to make several little stations with ingredients and necessary items already laid out. Then we go from station to station.
5. Make sure you take pictures. There will be lots of cute moments.
6. Allow them to do age appropriate things. Stirring, dumping in ingredients, decorating... Even the itty bitty kids can be easily entertained and part of the fun by allowing them to raid the cupboards a bit and letting them play with a pot, pan, bowl, spoons, etc.. with nothing in them of course.
7. Go over safety issues always before you get started. No playing with knives or getting close to the hot stove etc...
8. The most important is to have fun. You may have a bit of a mess at the end but I find that if I turn on a bit of music we have just as much dancing around and cleaning up as we do making the mess.
So here are some links to some treats that have been on my radar that would be yummy and fun to make!
Halloween Pumpkin Oreo Lollipops featured at Multiply Delicious
Chocolate Peanut Butter Coated Apples by Stephanie Moon at FAMILYCORNER.com
A new, delicious twist on the traditional caramel apple! These are ideal for fall when you have an overabundance of apples, but don't discount them for other holidays and occasions! Simply change the color of the sprinkles or other decorations to fit the season or event.
And then one of my fave site
Our Best Bites had to post this amazing post on
Easy Halloween Party food that was full of amazing recipes. It was just overflowing with creativity and fun.
A few things you will find when you click over:
•
Mummy Dogs
• Monster Jaws
• Candy Corn Pizza
• Nutty Ghosts• Caramel Apple Cider (ok so that one is for me)
So whatever the project or recipe, get in the kitchen and let the family help. Would love to hear and see pictures of your fun together.
Do you enjoy cooking with your kids? What types of things have you made together?
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Comments (6)
I love the Oreo cookie idea! This will be perfect for our Halloween party this year! Thanks for sharing!
With today's busy lifestyles, it can often be difficult to get in some family quality time. Here are some great activities you and your whole family can do to bring everyone together.
great post from a great gal!
i love, most of the time
{step #1 and that whole patience thing can trip me up}
cooking and baking with my kids. We often do cookies, my older ones are learning to do meals and are even running the grill.
this sentence is so deeply profound, "It is more about the fun of doing it together then having everything turn out perfect." and could be applied to much of what I do as a wife and mother!
When it comes to cooking, the whole family
can get involved. Sometimes, it is easy for one parent to get stuck
doing all of the kitchen work because he or she is naturally the better
home chef. With the right tools.
These are really great tips to working with kids in the kitchen. I will must follow them. Looking forward to read more.