Tips for baking with kids. How to get them involved and have fun together in the kitchen.
If you’ve been around here for any length of time you know I bake. A lot. And in the last 6 months or so Little A has really started to get involved. She loves to help measure the ingredients and stir, and I’m sure she’d love to do more if I wasn’t so paranoid about her spilling everything all over the kitchen.
I thought it would be fun to give some tips for baking with kids that are fun and an easy way to get them involved in the kitchen.
1. Let them know how they can help. I tell Little A that she can help get the bowls out, help measure some of the dry ingredients and mix when we have all the ingredients in the bowl. That way when it’s time to crack the eggs she isn’t a hot mess because she didn’t get to help.
2. Let them choose the recipe every now and then. I usually give Little A a few choices and let her pick one. For our holiday baking, her and I choose recipes we want to make a month in advance. Letting her have a say in what we make helps her feel invested in the process of mixing the ingredients and baking the goodies!
3. Choose simple recipes with few ingredients. Baking with really little kids is not the time to try that new 20 ingredient turtle brownie bite you’ve been dying to make. Go for simple recipes like chocolate chip cookies, brownies (homemade or out of a box, but out of a box is usually easier with little ones) or even sugar cookies that they can decorate later.
4. Give them their own bowl to mix in. Sometimes Little A just wants to stir something; even after we’re done mixing. When baking with kids it’s sometimes easier to let them have their own bowl with a few oats or flour and a teaspoon, and just let them go to town. They’re still involved but you can move onto the next step in the baking process.
5. Get them an apron. This gem keeps Little A pretty clean, which of course makes this OCD mommy happy. And she feels like a real baker.
Getting your little ones involved in the kitchen is a great way to enjoy time together as a family. I love sharing my passion with my daughter.
Question of the day: If you have a little one that likes to help in the kitchen, how do you get them involved?
Great post! Note to self for future 🙂 I love that Little A likes to bake with you…and she looks way cute doing it! Glad we’re hosting together!
Thanks Kelli. I love that she likes to bake too. We have a good time together.
What a cute apron!
I’m so glad you let Little A bake with you. Some of my favorite memories revolve around cooking or baking in the kitchen with my mom and Granny. 🙂
It is really cute. I used to bake with my grandma all the time,and of course my dad so I love that she likes baking as well. So fun. 🙂
They really are the best helpers!! I think I could benefit from these tips the next time I bake with my four year old niece! 🙂
Aw, I bet she loves her auntie. So fun! Yes, they are good helpers, until they try to eat the flour, dry. Ew.
i want to put the name Kaylynne on it because it would be for my niece if I won. 🙂 she is a little helper in the kitchen. Loves baking!
Aw, what a cute name Ashley. I love that she likes baking too! I think I’m going to do a baking party for my daughter and her friends when she gets a bit older. Would be so much fun. 🙂
Aww… what a cute little helper! 🙂
Thanks Jenny. She’s a sweetheart. So much fun to bake with her. 🙂
I would choose Kirsten as the name. She is my oldest daughter and she likes to bake 🙂
Love that Jolene. Little girls that love to bake are the best! 🙂
What a super cute post!! My son is getting into that now; same age as your daughter. Last year we made Christmas cookies and he had a blast adding the sprinkles and decorations. So did I 😉 Cute aprons ya have posted!!
So much fun! I love doing holiday cookies with them. My favorite time of year to bake. 🙂
Woohoo! A giveaway I can enter!
I love cooking with my girls… but you already knew that. In fact we just made some chocolate chip cookies and we’re waiting for them to come out of the oven!
Thanks for sharing.
xoxo
Oooh, and my name for the apron… hmm, how about Joy (because that’s the third girl I never had).
xoxo
Yum! Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorite things to bake.
Love the name choice too. Super cute!
xoxo
This is so cute!! I love baking with my boys, well…I love how THEY love baking with me 🙂 It’s so fun. Loved your tips too. Both of my boys need aprons!
Thanks Jessica. So glad your boys like baking too. We have such a great time. Yes, I can imagine boys would really need aprons, or just be in undies, ha!
That apron is very cute. Great tips. I needed them for when I start letting JR help. He’s getting to be that age sort of. I may let him help one time soon to see how it goes using your tips 🙂
Good luck! A was a hot mess when we first started baking (flour everywhere). But she’s much better now, especially when I let her have her own little bowl to stir. 🙂
What a darling post! 🙂 I love your tips and can’t wait to do more baking with my little dude as he grows! This ties in so perfectly to the giveaway! Thank you for being involved!!
Thanks Andrea. It is so much fun to bake with the kiddos at this age. Thanks for inviting me to be part of the giveaway!
I would name it Casmira because if I won it would be for my daughter. 🙂
Aw, what a beautiful, unique name she has! Thanks for entering Erin!
My daughter will be five soon and loves to back with me. I let her run the mixer when we use it and stir when we don’t. I make our own bread and I’ll usually give her some of the finished dough to knead. She loves being involved in making things even if she doesn’t always have the attention span to see it through to the finish.
Thanks for sharing! Found you through the SHINE Blog Hop.
Amber at OurCharmedLife.net
That’s so great that she loves participating! I’d been looking forward to baking with my daughter since she was born and I love that she enjoys it. Definitely a great way to bond with your kids.
Back when you first wrote this only a few months ago, my boys weren’t SUPER into it, and how they ALWAYS want to be in the kitchen with me, so these tips truly help!! I love the one on letting them choose the recipe every now and then, that’s such a great idea!
I love this. We have recently started baking more because Palmer LOVES to help!!! I measure out everything first and have her pour it in when I need it. She loves it!!!
Love this so much. Totally keeping this for the future!
This is a great post, Tiffany!! Scarlettt and I love to bake together, I love all of your tips. I usually try to stick to simple recipes too when we’re baking together… lately she likes to “help mama” with everything in the kitchen though. I find giving her a bowl with something to stir helps 🙂 She feels involved that way.
How fun! Charlotte is definitely getting to the age of wanting to help with everything. I’m definitely going to use these tips when it comes to baking. 😉