Teaching kids to cook

Woofles

Yeast dough is very hands on. I made some Chelsea Buns a couple of weeks ago and you roll the dough out for those.

Bronnie

How about making scones? They can add cherries or dried fruit or make cheesy ones. Quick to cook too.

Unless you're looking for stuff they can do completely on their own so you can get on with something else (!), I think a great way for kids to learn to cook is the way lots of us probably did, alongside someone. It slows us down in the kitchen, but giving kids little tasks to contribute to preparing the meal is a great way to go too, as well as doing the dedicated kiddy-recipes.

The chat about what you're doing and why is what helps them start to understand the principles of cooking, which they can apply in future.

I bet your grandkids have a great time!!

angeltreats

Shortbread might be a winner. They could use gingerbread men cutters if you have some, and decorate them with melted chocolate/icing/sweeties.

valk_scot

Pizza is always a great favorite and you can use a plain scone dough for that to avoid having to let it rise, if time is an issue.

Rock buns. Rock buns are easy and you can get really hands-on with them. Also, they're just as healthy (ie not very!) as most so called healthy eating snacks.

My kids used to love just chopping up veggies for soup and salads. They would make funny shapes. Remember how to make radish and spring onion "flowers" by putting them into iced water? We used to do that.

We have a pasta machine and they love that too. Also, layering up lasagne etc.

But also, as has been said above, just general helping. Weighing, sieving, beating, chopping, stirring things etc. Plus fetching and carrying. I'm lucky in that the dining room opens off the kitchen so the kids could mess around in there safe from the stove even when they were very small, but I was letting them near the stove from about age eight, carefully supervised of course. My 13 year old can make just about anything now, with the odd bit of consultation and his sister, aged eight, is quite capable of churning out four dozen rock buns for the rugby club, as long as I do the oven bit. She even insisted on making her own birthday cake this year and it wasn't bad at all!

helenhugs

yorkshire pud is 1 my children love to make along with scrambled egg, I know it means them cooking but if you are stood there it shouldn't really be an issue. My 5 year old loves to help me on the stove. If I have to step away from her to get something out of the fridge then I try to get her to step off the stool & get it for me so she doesn't think i'm just being mean, it works well. I have 4 children & they all help me with the cooking,
Hugs
Helen

jamanda

Thanks for all your suggestions. I have let them help with yorkie puds, scrambled egg and odd bits and bobs, but wanted to let them make something "all by themselves". I stand with them all the time. I might let them have a go at the Twink's hobnobs - will keep them quiet for hours.

Incidentally, just posted this and then went to the library. I looked for kids cookery books to loan but couldn't find what I wanted. Then the librarian said there was a book sale at the top end, all books 10p, and I found two kids books, exactly what I was looking for. (Also came back with gardening books, dinosaur books etc. etc.).

Can you put choc chips in rock buns? 2 of them don't like dried fruit.

ariba10

Our grandchildren started off with a simple soup. Potatoes Onions and Corned beef.

Then Cup cakes with a sponge mix, Welsh cakes and pikelets cooked on a bake stone.

They are just entering their teens now and are very confident in the kitchen.

valk_scot

jamanda wrote: »

Can you put choc chips in rock buns? 2 of them don't like dried fruit.

Never tried it, but it sounds like it could work. Give it a go! As long as the mix is cooked they will be edible, I should think.

fletty

jamanda wrote: »

Can you put choc chips in rock buns? 2 of them don't like dried fruit.

We make rock buns at school for the kids dinners and substitute all sorts for currants, choc drops work really well as does apricots and oats and a little honey, chopped apple, chopped (rather then squashed) banna and choc, orange rind grated, cherries try anything I've even done them with broken pieces of holiday rock which were really yummy. xx hth

jamanda

fletty wrote: »

We make rock buns at school for the kids dinners and substitute all sorts for currants, choc drops work really well as does apricots and oats and a little honey, chopped apple, chopped (rather then squashed) banna and choc, orange rind grated, cherries try anything I've even done them with broken pieces of holiday rock which were really yummy. xx hth

Well now, that really has got me thinking. I'll be chucking all sorts in now - for us not the kids.

Thanks