This is the perfect time to get cooking with the children. We are all going through a pandemic where we need to stay at home more and what better way to spend time with them and get your children to cook. They can learn basic life skills and with any luck, they will develop a lifelong love for the kitchen and cooking all types of food. All children develop at different stages throughout their life, so use your own initiative on what tasks are best suited to your child’s age.
In this blog, we will look at each stage of the child’s development and what foods would be good to cook. It’s the perfect excuse to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty together, teaching them a new skill in the home today!
3-6-year-olds
Children between the ages of 3-6 they love getting messy in the kitchen and making homemade foods that are perfect for snacking, lunch and their imagination.
They love to help in the kitchen by washing the vegetables, stirring the ingredients, decorating the cakes, spooning ingredients into the mixing bowl, rolling, shaping and cutting dough, cutting soft ingredients and picking the fruit and veg.
Sausage Rolls
Sausage Rolls are a kids favourite that is made in no time at all. This recipe is a great opportunity to start to explain to them the dangers of food poisoning. Make sure they wash their hands after touching the dough and raw meat.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Rolling out the dough
- Folding the dough over the sausages
- Making prints in the dough using a plastic fork
Jam Tarts
Jam tarts allow the child to sift the flour, spoon the jam on and create a delicious treat that they can sample afterwards.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Sifting the flour
- Rubbing the butter and flour together
- Making the pastry and kneading it
- Rolling the dough
- Cutting circles
- Spooning the jam into each pastry case
Banana Muffins
Do your children love bananas? This recipe will be right up their street.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Mixing the ingredients together
- Mashing the bananas
- Spooning the mixture into each muffin case
- Topping each cake with the sliced banana
Funny Face Pizza
Funny face pizzas are a great way to get your child to use their imagination and to work together. Chop up the veggies beforehand and you are ready to go.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Making the dough
- Kneading and rolling the dough
- Spreading the tomato sauce base and sprinkling on the cheese
- Topping the pizzas with their favourite vegetables
Mary Berry’s Iced Fairy Cakes
Get your children to become pros just like Mary Berry. Bake the cakes and get them to be in charge of the decorating.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Mixing all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon to make the simple sponge
- Spooning the mixture into the paper cases
- Mixing the ingredients to make the delicious icing
- Decorating the cakes how they want
Soft Brown Rolls
Softs brown rolls expand your child’s’ cookery skills with a simple recipe.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Mixing the dry ingredients together
- Mixing the honey and yoghurt into the dough
- Kneading and rolling out the dough
- Shaping the dough
7-11-year-olds
Are your children starting to take an interest in what you’re cooking? These simple recipes below are perfect for children for the ages between 7 and 11. Simple and delicious recipes that allow them to gain some independence in the kitchen. As children get older they get more inquisitive about food and the comfort of your own home is the best way to teach them new cooking skills.
Fruit Salad
Preparing a fruit salad is a great way to get the children to eat healthy as well as teaching them all about using a knife safely.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Stirring the ingredients together
- Peeling fruits with a peeler
- Coring fruits with a corer
- Cutting soft fruits with a butter knife or normal knife under supervision
- Washing the fruits
Dotty Shortbread Hearts
Who doesn’t love shortbread? They are so easy to make and can be shaped into whatever shape your child wants. These biscuits are great for the child to practise their decorating skills.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Mixing the ingredients together
- Rolling the dough out
- Cutting the shapes
- Putting the shortbread into the oven under supervision
- Making the royal icing to decorate
- Piping the dots
Butterfly Buns
Butterfly buns are an impressive cake and come without the fiddly decorating task of piping. All you have to do is add a spoonful of jam and a splodge of buttercream.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Mixing the ingredients together using an electric whisk with supervision
- Spooning the mixture into cupcake cases
- Placing the cakes into the oven under supervision
- Making the buttercream
- Spooning out the middle of the cake
- Decorating with jam and buttercream
Hummus
Hummus is a simple recipe for the children to make. They will get to learn how to use a food processor, tin opener and make something tasty at the end that is the perfect accompaniment to delicious pittas.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Opening and draining the chickpeas
- Mixing the ingredients together
- Using a food processor under supervision
- Spooning the hummus into a bowl and serving
- Toasting some pitta bread to go with it
The Hummingbird Bakery Gingerbread Men
Whip these up at the weekend and enjoy! All children love making and decorating gingerbread men and at this age, they will be a little more disciplined with the designing of this iconic bakery product.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Sifting the ingredients together
- Making the dough using an electric mixer with supervision
- Kneading and rolling out the dough
- Cutting the shapes
- Making the royal icing and decorating them
Children’s Club Sarnie
Now, this looks delicious. Get the children to make this for you at the weekend. It’s a simple recipe, making the children gain some independence in the kitchen.
During this recipe they will learn:
- Chopping the bacon with supervision
- Chopping the tomatoes and lettuce with supervision
- Buttering the bread with a knife
- Assembling the sandwich
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