Besides being the publisher of Fairytale Baby Books, I am a teacher. And I love watching my preschool students learn skills through fun activities, which brings me to baking with kids as the perfect way to introduce them to a number of skill sets:
- Math
- Following directions
- Organization
- Improves motor skills
- Increases vocabulary
- Importance of cleaning up
- Patience
- Hand-eye coordination
When it comes to baking, there are loads of easy recipes for kids (Some don’t even require the baking!). Look these over and pick a few of your favorites. Just make sure you have all the ingredients on hand before you break out the spoons and mixing bowls.
- ENERGY BITES
- Ingredients:
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats & 1 cup of steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup flaxseed
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before forming into 1-to-2-inch balls. (If the mixture isn’t holding together well enough you can add a little more nut butter or honey to help it bind). Keep refrigerated for an easy snack on the go.
- Ingredients:
- EASY CAKE MIX BARS
- Ingredients
- 1 box of yellow cake mix
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup 2% milk
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 cup white baking chips
- 1/3 cup jimmies
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, milk, and oil (mixture will be thick). Stir in baking chips and jimmies. Spread into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
- Ingredients
- Oatmeal Cream Pies
- Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 package spice cake mix
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1 can (16oz) vanilla frosting
- Beat butter and eggs until blended. Beat in cake mix and oats. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until firm enough to roll, though dough will remain fairly soft. Preheat oven to 350°. On a well-floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place 1-in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Spread frosting on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies.
- Ingredients
- Oven Baked S’mores Bars
- Ingredients
- 18 graham crackers
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 8 Tbs. of unsalted butter, melted
- 2 extra-large Hershey Bars (or 7 regular size)
- 24 jumbo marshmallows
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, allowing an extra 2 inches of parchment to hang over the edges. MAKE THE CRUST: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they are finely ground. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl. Add the sugar and salt to the graham-cracker crumbs and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let the crust cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Ingredients
- Gluten Free Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ingredients
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg white
- 1 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 375°. Place salt and egg white in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until white is frothy. Add peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and chocolate chips, stirring to combine. Divide dough into 20 equal portions (about 1 tablespoon each); arrange dough 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently press the top of each cookie with a fork; press the top of each cookie again to form a crisscross pattern and flatten to a 2-inch diameter. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Ingredients
Remember, mum’s the word on the fact that the kids will learn a lot from baking with you. Let them go on thinking it’s all about the fun! ENJOY!!!