Cooking in the Gymtime Kitchen: Less Mess = Less Stress
?Engaging children in activities in the kitchen can be both fun and rewarding. Whether you are baking cookies or icing cupcakes, getting into the kitchen with your kids can be a fun indoor activity whenever the weather does not want to cooperate. Of course, it can also get pretty messy. We’ve compiled a list of simple techniques to help keep the fun IN and the stress OUT!
Here are a few tips to make the process (and the clean up) a little easier:
• Cover the entire work surface with a disposable material such as butcher paper or plastic wrap. Get it nice and smooth, then tape down the edges.
??• Set some kitchen racks on the prepared surface and place your baked goods on top of them (one rack per child defines a “space” for each decorator and gives them the sense of “owning” their product.) It is also a great way to prevent bickering.
• Load frosting into individual resealable plastic bags, close them securely, and snip off one corner (start small). If you are using an assortment of colors, it is probably best to offer your youngest decorators one bag at a time.
• Gently squeeze the frosting out of the bag onto the baked goods. Any drips will fall through the racks onto the covered surface.
• Get everything iced BEFORE bringing out sprinkles or other toppings. This way, you can wipe off sticky fingers (who can resist a a taste or two?), and the toppings stand a better chance of landing on the icing, instead of sticking to little hands.
There are no guarantees that the project will be mess-FREE, but it should be less stressful! Take time to get your hands dirty in the kitchen with your little ones, it is worth the extra effort as your kids begin to cultivate basic skills in the kitchen. These lessons will help translate into a better understanding of nutrition and more positive food choices later on. Go through recipes and cookbooks as a family, allowing them to feel ownership of what they are helping to make and, of course, eat!
Has your child taken a special interest in the kitchen? Do you think they would enjoy a hands-on cooking environment? Check out Gymtime’s cooking classes for kids in NYC.
Shared By: Carla Jolis, Director of Cooking for Gymtime, Early Learning Foundations and York Avenue Preschool