Cooking with children is one of the best ways to teach motor skills, math, and comprehension to young children.
When they follow directions, learn to measure, and carefully crack an egg or pour flour into a bowl, they are learning valuable skills for later academics.
And the holiday week is the perfect time to work on these skills.
This month my three year old grandchild and I:
Rolled and cut cinnamon salt dough ornaments
Decorated sugar cookies
Mixed butter and sugar for Grandma's Teacakes
Stirred up a simmer pot
Made hot cocoa together
And my teens and young adults have carried these skills into their lives. They make Thai Thom Kha soup (a fun alternate to chicken soup) sourdough cinnamon rolls, creme brulee, chicken pot pie, and so many fun recipes that keep them and their loved ones fed.
Many of the recipes they make come from family traditions. Since my husband's dad grew up in Hawaii, we make a Hawaiian Christmas dinner with ham, macaroni salad, and Portuguese sweet rolls, with gratin potatoes in a nod to my French great-grandmother. At our extended family gatherings we have Hungarian Cabbage Rolls to include my Hungarian grandfather's roots.
And always we include the children in the cooking. A few tips for feasting with children:
- Assign each child a dish to prepare for the Christmas menu, depending on skill level.
- Let the youngest children help set the table or color place cards.
- Choose simple dishes and factor in oven space as you plan.
- Give yourself and your children plenty of time, rushed rolls won't rise, and kitchens become hazardous when you are in a hurry.
- Be aware of your season, this might be the time to ask for help, or take prepared shortcuts if you have a new baby or many young children.
- Clean up as you go. Kids can help load dishes, use a long handled scrubber to wash dishes, or wipe up spills.
- Cook extra. We make a huge Christmas eve meal, and a special Christmas day breakfast and then eat leftovers for the rest of the holiday so Christmas day can be devoted to rest.
What are your best tips for cooking with children? Grab a few of our favorite cookie recipes here, or grab the full Peaceful Press Cookbook here.