This post is sponsored by Sprouts Cooking School with all tips and opinions being my own. Some links are Amazon Affiliate links.
8 Tips for Baking with Kids- As a Mom, my biggest tip to give other parents is to ‘just try.’ Life is messy with kids and never perfect. On the plus side, kids often like the messy things in life! Baking is one activity that parents shy away from when it comes to their kids. I hear excuses like ‘it’s too messy’, ‘it’ll go faster if I just do it’ and ‘she’s not able to do it yet.’ The funny thing is, they’re ready to do things before you think they are.
My daughter started baking as soon as she could stand on her own and understand my instructions. Once she hit 18 months and went to montessori school she was baking every week with her class. They would make hummus, muffins, lemonade and pizza. There are kid-friendly tools that are helpful for kids at a young age.
8 Tips for Baking with Kids
1. Get Kid-Friendly Tools for the Kitchen
Our favorite kid tool, and one Sophia still uses as a 5 year old, is the Wavy Chopper Knife It helps by allowing little hands to chop soft things like strawberries, bananas, hard boiled eggs as well as harder foods like carrots, celery and zucchini.
Small mixing tools for little hands like a miniature whisk, wooden spoon and spatula are all great for baking. You can buy them separately or as a set. Some have up to 11 different utensils for the kitchen. I love this Silicone Mini Kitchen Utensil Set.
There are also a lot of tools you already have in your house that are just the right size for little hands. A cheese grater, egg slicer, apple peeler, measuring spoons/cups and small colander are perfect. You don’t need to buy a full set of your utensils in miniature size for them to be able to bake with you. Most tools you use will work great for your child.
2. Get All the Ingredients Out
Lay out all of the ingredients on a clean surface with plenty of space.
3. Have All of Your Supplies Close at Hand
Make sure you have bowls, multiple spoons (one for each child), measuring cups and spoons, and cookie trays all out.
Place them close to each ingredient that they will be used to hold or measure. You can even order the ingredients on the table or counter so that you work left to right!
4. Be Prepared to Get Messy
Nothing would be worse than trying something new and having someone stopping you constantly because you’re making a mess.
Have paper towels handy and/or a wet cloth to wipe up spills right away. Talk to your child ahead of time about how messes will be handled. Remember, it’s best to clean up as you go so there aren’t any slips but don’t do it in a way that it falters their confidence.
5. Read the Recipe Together
Take a look at the recipe together and read it in it’s entirety. Make it clear who will be doing each step so no one feels left out. If you think there will be fighting over certain tasks, remind them that you can bake together again soon so they can do that task.
6. Make Sure the Recipe is Right for Your Child’s Age
If you’re baking with a first time toddler chef you’ll want to make the ingredient list smaller. If it’s a first time baker who’s in 5th grade you’ll be able to make the recipe a little more difficult. Make sure the recipe will keep their attention but not overwhelm them on their first try.
7. Make a Big Deal Out of Taste Testing
Kids are always more inclined to try new foods when they’ve had a part in selecting or cooking it. Taste and smell the ingredients as you bake. You can also make the final product tasting special by setting it up as a tea party or inviting a couple friends over to try it out.
8. Try a Kids Baking Class Together
If all of this seems overwhelming and you’re wanting to learn from the experts, try your hand at a parent-child cooking class. In our town, we have a kids cooking school called Sprouts Cooking School that is perfect for first time bakers. They offer child drop off classes, full week camps and parent-child classes.
I took Sophia, my 5 year old, to a Baking with Barbie class and both of us couldn’t wait to see what other classes we could take! The teachers had all the ingredients out and had three recipes the kids were going to prepare. The girls were ages 3-9 and they prepared everything from scratch other than the frosting! During their session they made Fruit Tarts, Mini Cupcakes and Edible Fingernail Polish Bottles. They were the perfect recipes for kids of those ages. I immediately signed her up for a week long summer camp themed ‘Once Upon a Time’.
Sophia will likely love it so much she’ll want to have her Birthday party there as well. Her Baking with Barbie class inspired her to want to host her own baking class at home with her cousins. We made up an invitation and found a few recipes we could all make together. Our cousin baking class can’t come soon enough!
What ways do you bake with your children? My husband and I always have our daughter help us with each other’s Birthday cakes as well as treats for the neighbors around Halloween and Christmas. I’d love to know some of your baking traditions!
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