How To Include Your Chid(ren) When Cooking

Often I feel as if I would never get anything cooked or baked if I didn't involve C.  He wants to be involved.  Sometimes this is incredibly frustrating as it's already a "chore" to me, and other times I actually plan ahead with him in mind.

Below are a couple of ideas on how to include your child when cooking or baking.  Hopefully you'll learn something new.

*Use a spring loaded scoop when baking muffins or cookies.  They come in small, medium and large for whatever you might be making.  Pampered chef makes well built ones, but they can also be found at just about every store you go into these days.

For C this helps develop his hand muscles as well as hand-eye coordination.  Additionally, he has a great sense of pride knowing he filled an entire mini-muffin tray!

I must add that although C greatly enjoys this it's one of the things I sometimes struggle with- letting him make a mess- especially when it comes to food.  I can get the dough in the tray much faster and neater than him.  But if I never let him help what fun would that be for either of us?

*Always pour liquids into a smaller plastic measuring cup.  For example when cooking- or even for their cereal, pour the milk into a different, more manageable container for them to pour.

*When adding smaller amounts of wet or dry ingredients I do one of two things.
  -Have C hold the measuring spoon over the bowl so I can pour the liquid in it and then I tell him when he can pour it in.
  -Scoop the dry ingredients and level off on my own if necessary and have C pour into the bowl.

*When using canned ingredients you can open up the cans and let your child pour it into the bowl or pan (if not hot).

*Whenever I use eggs in something C is my poker.  He loves to poke and sometimes stir the eggs.

*If you want to invest a small amount of money and plan ahead each time you cook, a prep bowl set might be useful.  You can pre-measure all of your ingredients into glass, stainless, or silicone bowls.  Often they come in a variety of sizes so they neatly nest together.

Consider making Cake Cookie Sandwiches.  Your child can help throughout.

Do you have any tips or favorite ways to include your children when you cook?