Baking with kids can be tricky, but I have a few tips to help make the process stress free and enjoyable. Making memories in the kitchen is a childhood staple, so why not encourage your kids to develop basic kitchen skills that they will use and cherish throughout their lives? Creating a positive and loving experience in the kitchen will leave a life long stamp on their core memory.
In 2021 I started a small home business where I taught groups of kids how to bake in my own kitchen. Ages as young as 3 and as old as 14. I kept this business open for just under 3 years before transitioning to a baking blog. During those 3 years I learned A LOT of do’s and don’t with kids in the kitchen and by the end I was a pro with groups as big as 18 kids all in my kitchen at the same time. Baking and learning and having fun, those kids learned life skills they can use forever.
Why is it important to bake with kids?
Baking with kids is a fun and interactive way to teach. It will touch on so many skills! Reading the recipe together will help your child’s vocabulary & reading skills. While you measure you can work on fraction math together. Following the recipe will teach your child how to follow instructions, a very important skill in all of life. Once you start the chemical reactions of rising agents it will also touch on some real life chemistry. Talking about the heat of the oven or the proper knife skills will teach your child kitchen safety. To top it all off you are developing important relationships with your kiddos that will last their lifetime.
How do you engage kids in baking?
Kids naturally want to help, so engaging them isn’t too difficult. I am willing to bet if your child is 5 years or older that they have already seen you in the kitchen and have asked to help. If you are having trouble getting an older child engaged, let them pick what you bake, get them invested in the end result. As for children under 5, get them up high enough to see with a stool or chair and give them chances to pour in ingredients or mix them together.
If your child is under the age of 3 and cannot help, but you want them still be involved, put them in their highchair near by, give them tastes of ingredients like fruit bits or chocolate chips. Grab a small bowl and spoon for them to pretend bake next to you while you bake.
What are some easy recipes to bake with kids?
There are so many easy recipes you can start with and then move up to a little more difficult as your child progresses. My go to with all kids is a cereal treat, after they master that I will move on to some cookies, brownies, quick breads and more. Here are a few of my kids favorites to bake with me:
Can any age kid help bake?
Yes! They are never too young or too old to help you bake! In fact I enjoy baking with my 17 year old son, and he loves it to. As he has grown he has become very confident in the kitchen and makes himself very gourmet meals daily. On the opposite side, I have a 1 year old at home who will sit in his highchair as I bake, I involve him by showing him the steps, giving him tastes of ingredients along the way and sometimes grabbing him a small bowl and measuring utensils to pretend bake along side me.
Free Baking with Kids Guide
Okay, I have given you a few tips to get started here but I have a 10 step guide that is gold, and will really help you go all in with teaching your kids how to bake. This guide is meant to help take what could be a stressful activity and make it a pleasurable one that you want to repeat again and again. I will send you this printer friendly guide straight to your email. Click this link here.