Tente envolver as crianças em todas as fases. Peça-lhes que ajudem a escolher uma receita. No caso das crianças pequenas, dê-lhes a escolher entre duas ou três receitas pré-selecionadas que saiba serem adequadas à sua idade e inclua muitas atividades que possam ser orientadas ou que elas próprias possam fazer. Mantenha as coisas simples e comece com uma receita básica que seja rápida de fazer e que permita que as crianças se empenhem a fundo.

Medir primeiro todos os ingredientes para que estejam claramente dispostos e prontos a usar é uma boa ideia para as crianças mais pequenas, para ajudar a manter o seu interesse, enquanto as crianças mais velhas podem aprender a utilizar o forno, a balança ou o robot de cozinha em segurança e, em seguida, assumir mais responsabilidades. Fale com as crianças sobre os ingredientes que está a utilizar ou os vários processos à medida que avança, encorajando-as a tocar, cheirar e provar (desde que seja seguro fazê-lo), e apele à criatividade com as coberturas e as decorações.

Accidents can happen in the kitchen. Never leave young children unsupervised while you’re baking together and take the time to explain the dangers of hot ovens, pans on the hob, sharp knives and kitchen equipment with moving parts. 

Put some clear rules in place regarding how to move safely around the kitchen and what can and can’t be touched. Children should also understand that some uncooked foods and mixtures cannot be eaten, however tempting it is to lick the spoon. 
 

Accept from the outset that things will get messy, and that for children that will all be part of the fun. For the most part it’s best just to take a deep breath and fully embrace it!  But there are ways you can limit the damage. Give them an apron, put them in clothes you don’t mind getting splattered and tie back long hair. Cover the floor around where they’re working with a plastic sheet, oilcloth tablecloth or even a shower curtain to catch any spills, and get kids to use a spoon to scoop out dry ingredients when measuring, rather than tipping straight from the bag. Using a stand mixer comes into its own when it comes to minimising mess, with a mixing bowl that stays in place, and with many of our models such as the Titanium Chef Baker coming with built-in weighing scales, so little ones can measure ingredients straight into the bowl.  

It’s also never too early to teach kids the importance of practising basic hygiene in the kitchen, so encourage them to wash their hands before they start and whenever handling food, and to keep surfaces clear. Most kids love a bit of washing up too- although this may end up adding to the mess!
 

Read through the recipe together and plan who is going to do which job- someone to pour in the flour, someone else to add the sugar, and so on. Younger children will invariably have shorter attention spans so if necessary pick quick tasks that they can do with minimal guidance- mixing, pouring, measuring out ingredients, lining the tray with cupcake cases, decorating or cutting out shapes in the dough, and then they can always go off and play in between jobs. 

Set each child up with their own work station. Younger kids may need a stool or set up at the kitchen table so that everything is in easy reach and they can see what they’re doing when pouring or mixing.  Consider investing in some child-sized utensils which will be much easier for little hands to use. 
 

Here are some simple recipes that are perfect for making with kids of any age:

Critter crudités: A fun way to introduce a range of different fruit and veg, younger children will love making these colourful creatures. The perfect activity for play dates and rainy afternoons.

Hundreds & Thousands Sponge Cake: This classic child-friendly cake is simple to make and decorate and will undoubtedly be a hit at every birthday party. 

Rustic Pizza: With this pizza recipe, kids can not only help with making the dough and adding their own toppings, but they’ll happily sample the results fresh from the oven! 

Cranberry and raisin flapjacks:  This really straightforward recipe is a great one to get children involved with measuring out ingredients and scoring the flapjack bars. It’s also a healthy alternative for school lunchboxes! 

Vanilla Cupcakes: This vanilla cupcake recipe will definitely become a household favourite. The batter is simple to make and you can adapt the recipe to suit different occasions - letting the kids get creative with different icing and toppings every time.

​​​​​​​You can find more delicious recipe ideas for baking and cooking with the kids here