School’s Out: Let’s Bake!

 

School holidays can be challenging to keep the little ones entertained, particularly when it’s cold and grim outside (although we have been blessed with good weather this holiday week so far), so thinking up fun activities to keep them engaged is crucial to them (and to you)! 

 

Baking is an obvious one and combines creativity and learning with of course, yummy results at the end and it’s an indoor activity if it’s lashing it down outside. If you’re looking for some inspiration, then hopefully this will help. 

 

 

Simple Recipes – choose something that’s easy to follow and which doesn’t require anything complicated in terms of ingredients or equipment; cookies, muffins and cupcakes work great. 

 

Get Them Involved – give them the freedom to do as much as they can, to really feel like they are involved; measuring, mixing, decorating and shaping, whilst teaching them about how baking works. 

 

Kitchen Safety – this is of course critical to avoid accidents. Be sure they know the equipment that they can’t touch; oven, knives and hot surfaces. 

 

Encourage Creativity – let them go wild (to a point) in the decoration of their creations and by adding special twists to the recipes. 

 

Rice Krispies Treats – quite often the first introduction to baking, super easy and super tasty, with all sorts of ingredients being added, like chocolate chips, sparkles and sultanas. 

 

Cookies - classic, easy to make and always a hit with children. Be sure to teach them to space the cookie mix on the baking tray, so they don’t stick together. 

 

Cupcakes – little ones love making their own cupcakes and even more so, decorating them. If you don’t have all of the ingredients or want to buy all of the ingredients, buy a cake mix instead, which has everything you’ll need. 

 

No-Bake Treats – this is a great option for children who might not (or you might not want them to) use the oven. There’s lots of opportunities for adding in their favourites into the mix. 

 

Decorating Sugar Cookies – these are super easy to bake and can be turned into a creative art project too! There’s lots of involvement here, so also expect there to be a lot of mess with this one! 

 

Pizza Rolls and Mini Pizzas – don’t always think sweet, baking can include savouries like pizza rolls and mini pizzas - that’s lunch sorted! 

 

Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits – finally, a lighter, healthier alternative that’s still delicious and fun to make and can be really colourful with the laying of fruits and yoghurts. Plus it’s great for breakfast or as a sweet treat after lunch. 

 

Once you and the children having finished the baking, take the opportunity to let them show off their creations! Perhaps host a taste test with family or friends, parcel some up as gifts to distribute and consider starting a baking journal, to include recipes, photos and reviews - which can of course form part of their homework project. It’s a win all around. 

 

Whilst these ideas won’t fill up the whole week of school holidays, it might fill up a couple of hours and you’ll have some treats to nibble on and enjoy!