How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

I have no idea how to include DD. She is 21 months. We live in a NYC apartment, so our kitchen is very small.

Any ideas?

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

I just ask Syd to go cook in her own kitchen while mommy cooks in the big kitchen

I think she is still too young to really cook with me yet...

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

This is too funny...DD and I are baking banana bread after Blues Clues in about 15 minutes!!

I usually premeasure the ingredients, put them in small bowls and she dumps them in the larger bowl. Also, I let her "hold" the hand mixer with me. She also "stirs" the batter!

Have fun!

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

Oh yeah, and when she helped me with Christmas cookies, she had fun making shapes with the cookie cutters!

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

DW has been having DC help her for a while now. DS is 4.5yo, and he's been cracking eggs, mixing ingredients, getting ingredients from the cabinet (at least the stuff on the bottom shelves). He will often choose which cupcake flavor to make, which icing (there aren't that many options, so whatever he picks will be OK... )

DD is 19 months, and I don't see her being overly helpful in the kitchen for a little while yet. As soon as she is able to follow direction, she'll be helping pour and stir things.

I think the best place to start is having DC pick out flavors, and to pour pre-measured items (flour, sugar, etc) into a bowl. They feel involved, but you don't have to worry about too much (as long as DD doesn't pour the flour all over the floor! )

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

Last night I gave my 8 month old measuring cups to play with while I made dinner

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

i've never had that experience, yet. but a friend got her dd, lola, a really cute apron adn real plastic measuring tools. lola was really excited and anxious to create something with mommy. my friend would help her put the proper amount of ingredients into the measuring cup to put into the mixing bowl. the more and more they did this together, lola began to understand how to do it on her own. it was a lot of fun for her. mommy's lil helper.

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

Posted by ckdk

I just ask Syd to go cook in her own kitchen while mommy cooks in the big kitchen

I think she is still too young to really cook with me yet...

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

Taylor (almost 3 yrs old) loves helping both hubby and I cook!

When ever we are cooking she comes running asking to help, and before we can even answer her she pushes the chair to the counter and asks what part she can do. She usually adds ingredients, stirs etc.

We've made cookies, brownies, pasta sauce, you name it she helps.

I was making meatloaf last week and of course in she comes... I was hesitant to have her help me with it, but she really wanted to so I laid down some rules:

You can not eat the raw meat.

You can not put the raw meat anywhere near your face.

Once mommy says you are done, you walk away from the raw meat and we HAVE to WASH OUR HANDS.

I explained that you can't eat raw meat b/c it can make you sick.

She was so excited to mix it with her hands it was absolutely adorable.

Her first words were: ohhhhhhh this is so cold...followed by this is gooey.

I let her mix it feeling the texture and I asked her to further describe how it felt.

I think it is a great learning experience.

When I told her that was enough...she listened, got off the chair and we went into the bathroom and we both washed our hands with antibacterial soap.

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

I'll have her pour in the ingredients and have her help me mix the stuff together. Last night I baked cookies and when they were finished I let her put the sprinkles on. She loves to help.

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

my boys love making everything from cookies to brownies to cakes.

their favorite is making meatballs.
I let them make a whole pot of meatballs. I mix the meat, the wash their hands, roll up their sleaves and have a blast.

and we LOVE to eat their oddly shaped meatballs, and theyre SO prooud of themselves. They do it all the time for when we have company or a party. and they are VERY excited to tell everyone they made them

if we have icecream, we throw anything in that we have, sprinkles, M&Ms, etc.

kids gotta get down and dirty to enjoy the experience.

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

It can be messy and I would not expect perfection, but this is a great way for them to practice pouring, stirring, etc. My tip is to cover a table, have all materials ready on it, do not take your eyes off your little one for an instant or you may have even more clean up when it hits the floor. Don't plan too much, just let them do what you can.
Why not try something easy first like instant pudding. Combine ingredients in a covered plastic container and let them shake it, instead of stir. It can be very tiring, but so worth it. My son is nearly 4 and still loves to cook.

Re: How do you incorporate your toddlers in baking/cooking?

I haven't done anything yet with Steven, but my mom does

She let's him dump the stuff into the big bowl, he helps her hold the mixer and he takes the dough out of the bowl and puts it on the pan.

She als does the pre cut cookie, which she said is MUCH easier. He just transfers from the package to the cookie sheet