INVOLVING CHILDREN IN BAKING IS NOT ONLY LOTS OF FUN BUT IT CAN HELP INSPIRE A FUTURE GENERATION OF BAKERS!

More often than not, you won’t have to ask twice for a hand baking in the kitchen when the kids are around.

Baking is a fantastic way of getting children interested in preparing wholesome food from scratch and enjoying the rewards with a few delicious treats afterwards.

What can begin as a rainy day activity could even become a lifelong passion!  

Here are a few suggestions for a fun family baking session:  

Stay safe in the kitchen and explain the dangers when cooking around sharp knives and hot ovens. Doing this before you start to measure out any ingredients is a good idea as children are less likely to be distracted by all the delicious food around them.

Choose an easy recipe to follow and measure out all the ingredients beforehand.

Reading through the steps first will help kids to learn how to follow a recipe correctly in stages.

Runny golden syrup, melted chocolate, handfuls of sprinkles and lots of flour – needless to say, your kitchen may be a little on the messy side following an afternoon baking with the kids.

Making a mess around the mixing bowl is all part of the fun, though it’s always worthwhile getting little hands to have a go at the washing up bowl too!

Adding colour to frosting is lots of fun and allows children to see just how different coloured toppings are made.

Let them stir the food colouring in and watch the frosting magically change colour. Decorating is a chance to really let loose!

Share out different toppings into small bowls so that the kids can pick and mix to design their own cupcakes. Try treats like sprinkles, sweets, strawberry laces, chocolate buttons, popcorn, edible writing icing and edible glitter (go easy with this one, or else your kitchen may end up looking like Santa’s grotto!).

Alternatively, topping cupcakes with fresh fruit can be a healthier alternative – it could even help the kids in learning the names for more exotic and tropical fruits.

Seasonal fruits at their best can also be sliced and used to decorate cupcakes and cakes.