Fall family activity: cooking with the kids

Between us, what was our favorite moment when we were little, baking a cake? Dip your finger in the bottom of the salad bowl to eat the raw dough, of course. Cooking as a family was our fondest childhood memory. Attention parents, uncles, aunts, big brothers and sisters, it’s time to cook with the little ones.

With adult supervision, there is no risk of disaster except that the children become so expert in cooking that they beg you to do this activity again!

Children like to get their hands dirty

Rolling out dough with a rolling pin, cutting it with a cookie cutter, pouring a mixture into a mold or breaking eggs, children love these preparation steps. If you’re making a quiche, be sure they’ll be the first to volunteer to prick the dough with a fork. Indeed, children love to get their hands dirty and do things “like the grown-ups”. So, if you cook with them, let them do these little actions as simple as they are risk-free. Entrusting them with responsibilities will only please and amuse them.

When Halloween hits the kitchen

On the occasion of Halloween, when candy is in the spotlight, we dig our pumpkin with the children and prepare terrifying mini pies and ghost meringues. The meringue recipe allows little ones to take care of a crucial step: forming the ghosts with the piping bag. Your children will be proud to distribute their creation, as is the Halloween tradition. A great way to keep children alert and develop their creativity.

Cooking as a family: accessible recipes for the little ones

When cooking with children, we opt for easy recipes. As newbies to this subject, let’s let them learn with ease. To avoid any loss of patience on their part, we choose recipes that require neither effort nor waiting.

Let’s not take the risk of them getting injured during a recipe that requires handling utensils that are too dangerous. If you are preparing butternut squash for example, cutting it will require a sharp knife. It is best not to handle this type of utensil near a child. To avoid depriving yourself of recipes based on butternut or nuts which require a lot of strength, we anticipate and cut/break in advance.

The idea: avoid telling your child that he is too little to cut this or that food, he could get angry or lash out. We remember, family cooking workshops are designed to make children feel as big and strong as their parents. A good way to make them gain self-confidence! No room for preparation stages dedicated to adults, here we all cook at the same level.

Getting children to love vegetables is child’s play

A cooking workshop with children is also an opportunity to play chef. Children will not only feel like adults but will especially forget the difference between a vegetable and a candy. After all, what cook worth his salt doesn’t appreciate vegetables? No more whims, our children are now grown up (time for this activity of course).

Preparing a pumpkin pizza will be perfect for making them love this “grown-up” food. Another idea: integrate sweet potato into a gratin or in the form of fries, to introduce sweet and sour to little ones, who love something sweet.

Here are some recipes that are as delicious as they are autumnal for a vacation rich in good memories.