There’s no better time than the holidays to gather in the kitchen and bake treats together for family, neighbors, teachers, coaches — the list goes on. Bringing little hands into the kitchen to help is part of the magic that fills this season with so many memories.
While it may take an extra cup of patience and a willingness to embrace a mess, involving kids in holiday cooking is a joy-filled tradition to begin in your home.
Ways to get kids involved in the kitchen
1. Simple pouring, scooping, stirring, and mixing tasks are appropriate for children as young as toddlers. Pull up a chair (with supervision) or a toddler tower to allow little ones to see what’s happening and be a part of the baking magic.
2. Wash produce. Rinsing or scrubbing produce is an easy task the littlest helpers can do. It’s like purposeful water play, too, which is a win-win.
3. Decorate cookies. Let kids decorate baked cookies with icing and/or sprinkles (depending on the amount of mess you’re comfortable encouraging). To help contain the mess, have them decorate the cookies on a cookie sheet, in a pan or on a large platter to catch most of the icing drips and excess sprinkles for easy cleanup.
4. Make cut-out cookies and let little hands roll the dough, cut the shapes with cookie cutters or press a thumbprint into the cookies. You know they’re well-versed with these skills from their Play-Doh practice!
5. Let older kids crack eggs into a separate bowl.
6. Have kids read a recipe aloud. This is an easy way to practice those reading skills over the holiday break with a tasty payout.
7. Make learning fun in the kitchen. Getting little ones involved in measuring, counting and reading (all parts of following a recipe) are great ways to reinforce simple concepts. For the littlest helpers, pointing out the color of a measuring cup, the shape of the dough, or the name of the utensil at hand is a great way to build vocabulary, too.
8. Have little ones help clean up. In addition to learning responsibilities while making the recipe, little ones can also take ownership in cleaning up when the baking is done. Simple tasks to help could include throwing a butter wrapper in the trash, putting ingredients back in the pantry, wiping off the counter with a wet cloth, or rinsing off dishes in the sink.
9. If you’re baking treats to gift, have kids help decorate the gift bag or box for a personal touch. This is an extra helping of fun while also learning about giving!
For a crafty touch
Create a special gift or an ornament for this year’s tree by making salt dough ornaments together in the kitchen. This is an easy, cheap activity for kids to do. Salt dough recipes use easily available ingredients (salt, all-purpose flour, and warm water). After the dough is cut out to the desired shapes and baked, you can decorate these with paints, glitter, and more. For an extra special gift for loved ones, salt dough handprint ornaments are a great idea. Any age can take part in making these!
Tips for a stress-free time
– Prep the ingredients in advance for whatever recipe you’re following so there are fewer little fingers pulling a bag of flour off the counter or making a bigger mess.
– Keep recipes simple for little helpers — an easy sugar cookie recipe or familiar recipe is a good place to start. Don’t pick something you’ve never made before, as you’ll want to minimize the time little ones might struggle being patient in between tasks.
– Expect a mess — wear aprons and roll up sleeves. Don’t worry if the cookies are lopsided.
– Make it fun with a special holiday playlist kiddos have helped curate.
This season, turn cooking into connection by spending time with kids in the kitchen, giving them an opportunity to work side-by-side with you and have your attention. Besides, cooking teaches so many real-life skills — and the reward couldn’t be more tasty for everyone. If your kitchen doesn’t have the space to involve little hands, consider upgrading to a new home in Cypress Green! Our builders have amazing kitchens with large islands, broad countertops, and plenty of storage. Visit our model homes to see which might be right for you and your budding chefs!