10
Tips for Successful Baking with Children
Whether
you are painting cookies or decorating a birthday cake, you’ll
teach your child valuable skills in the kitchen. Most importantly,
you’ll build relationships and teach life lessons that will
last forever. Here are some tips to make the experience with your
child a success.
1. Keep
it safe. Teach your kids safety. Keep younger children away
from a hot stove and sharp knives. Even very young children will want
to put the flour in the mixing bowl or break an egg. Turn the mixer
off and let them do it.
2. Keep
it simple. Choose simpler recipes and quicker recipes for
young kids. Kids love to get their hands in the dough. Consider a
cookie recipe, like snickerdoodles, where the cookies are hand-formed.
3. Make
it feel good. Overlook boo-boo’s like egg shells in
the dough. Praise often even if the product isn't perfect. When a
mess happens, take it in stride and don't voice blame.
4. Build
kids not cookies. The kitchen makes an excellent classroom.
Help the child read and interpret the directions--learning to follow
written instructions is an important life skill. Help the child understand
the fractions found in most recipes. With older kids, use the opportunity
to pass a little wisdom along—even if it slows down the project.
5. Take
your time. Neither you nor your kids will enjoy the experience
if you're fighting the clock. It takes twice as long to bake with
kids--it's just worth it.
6. Keep
it clean. Teach good hygiene habits. Teach kids to wash their
hands often and to clean and disinfect the counters. Help them use
clean dish cloths and dish towels.
7. Teach
ingredients. Teach them the basics of ingredients. Explain
how yeast works or baking soda. Show them the difference between granulated
sugar, brown sugar, and confectioners' sugar.
8. Keep
that food safe. Teach them food safety principles. Make them
aware of dangerous bacteria and how they thrive. Teach them to keep
hot foods hot (over 140 degrees) and cold foods cold (under 40 degrees).
9. Consider
mixes. Have a few mixes on hand for cooking with kids. With
a mix, there is less that can go wrong. Since it takes less time to
bake, a mix may be more suitable for a child's attention span or may
better fit an available block of time.
10. Clean
it up. Teach them to clean up as they go and afterwards.
Let them know that the job is not done until the kitchen is clean.
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