Do your children like to spend their time making awesome mud pies or are they constantly stirring up some of their best grass soup? Then maybe it's time to let them loose in the kitchen with these fun kids cooking activities.
1. Allow your kids to create a new recipe. Pick out 5-7 ingredients that you think might go together and can be baked in a pie pan. For example, eggs, cheese, barbecue sauce, salt, flour, garlic powder, and corn chips can go together. The kids can also try a combination of cinnamon, eggs, flour tortillas, caramel sauce, and bananas. You may need to help them figure out "reasonable" amounts of each ingredient. There's no right answer; just have fun with it.
2. Start a Kids' Recipe Book. Everyone has recipes they love, including the kids. Have your child pick out 10 of his or her very favorite recipes. Either you or they can type the recipes out on the computer in a cool font with borders and some clipart. Print them out and "laminate" them with clear contact paper. They can then put the recipes in their very own cooking notebook.
3. Give your child an easy kid-friendly recipe to prepare on their own. Kids love to spread their wings and do things "all by myself." Give them the opportunity by handing them a super easy recipe and explaining how to do it. Depending on their age and skill, talk about kitchen safety and that you will be handling the oven/stove part of the task.
4. Have the kids take pictures of each other while cooking. They can make a small scrapbook filled with photos of their proud cooking moments. They will really enjoy this now, but also after they've grown up. Looking at the scrapbook and their kids' recipe book may remind them of good family times.
5. Decorate the cupcake challenge. Most kids have no problem creatively decorating a cupcake when given the proper toppings. Add a twist to the activity by getting out any possible toppings you can think of and asking them to decorate the cupcake to look like a cat or a flower. They'll come up with some decorative toppings you didn't think of.
All these kids cooking activities give you the chance to teach your kids the ins and outs of cooking. Your children also get the chance to learn many things in an atmosphere of fun. Give your child every opportunity to be creative in the kitchen and your child will thank you one day.
