Children in the Kitchen

We do a lot of baking through the winter months. There is just something about a home filled with the scent of something baking in the oven that makes our winter hobbit hole that much cozier.

I get asked a lot about how I introduced baking and working in the kitchen to my children. Both are now incredibly competent in the kitchen at 13 and 16 years old, and have been making their own breakfast meals since they were four/five years old, lunch since seven and take turns making one dinner meal a week. The main work at supporting their love of baking and cooking fell in those early years between birth and seven.

Having your children in the kitchen with you while you work from a very early age, I believe, makes all the difference. A sitting baby playing with pots and pans on the floor, a toddler washing up vegetables or helping kneed dough, a preschooler peeling and chopping potatoes, stirring batter, helping to measure out ingredients. There are so many aspects that young children can take part in when cooking or baking.

Here is a very simple, and by no means complete, list of activities children can participate in at various stages.

Birth to the ability to walk and stand firmly
* include children in meal times even when a child is not eating solid foods
* once able to sit well, playing with pots and pans and wooden utensils while you prepare a meal
* Using song and rhyme to mark meal times each day

Toddler
* Scrubbing/washing vegetables
* Kneading and shaping dough
* Stirring and scooping out batter
* Pouring in measured ingredients
* Adding ingredients to a pot or pan
* Mashing up soft ingredients
* Cleaning and washing up dishes
* Helping to set the table
* Helping to put away groceries

Preschooler
* Cutting and peeling vegetables
* Measuring out ingredients with support
* Flipping pancakes
* Stirring cooking food
* Juicing fruits like oranges and lemons
* Setting the table

Purposeful activity is at the heart of early childhood. I often encourage parents not to ask their children if they would like to join, but to make it part of the daily rhythm that ARE included. Often times, when a parent starts a task, young children will instinctively want to participate because it is their work to learn about the world. While making meals may be a tedious task for us as parents, it is a world of sensory experiences for young children and they delight in the opportunity to do as we do.

Here is a simple muffin recipe we have been making since my eldest was a toddler. It leaves lots of room for participation, and is also the recipe we use in our home as the first independent bake. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Berry Muffins

Preheat oven to 375C

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl:
2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a new bowl, mix wet ingredients
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir well
Add 1 cup berries of your choice and stir gently until just combined
Scoop into greased muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.