Holiday Baking with Kids

Create holiday memories for your children by spending an hour or two with them in the kitchen this season. Don’t have kids of your own? Then rustle up a grandchild, niece, nephew or neighborhood friend. Children from preschool to teens can join in the baking fun with you. All it takes is a little planning and a lot of holiday spirit.

Tips for Holiday Baking with Kids

• Keep it simple. Save the elaborate holiday cookie recipe for another day. To reduce “down” time when kids might get bored or restless, consider making cookie dough ahead of time, then letting the kids shape, roll or decorate it.

• Choose a recipe the kids will love to make—and eat! That means nothing too fancy or unusual. Little hands can easily make Peppermint Candy Cookies and they’ll gobble up the Bear Cookie Pops.

• Allow plenty of time. If you’re rushed, neither you nor the kids will be able to enjoy this creative time together. Make sure you have all of the ingredients and baking pans on hand before you get started.

• Plan on a mess. But you can easily show kids how to clean up as they go and make sure the kitchen’s tidy when the baking’s done. To help with cleanup:
• Have the kids put on an apron or a big shirt, or tie a towel around their waists.
• Fill the sink partway with warm, soapy water, and wash utensils as you use them.
• Cover the table or counters with waxed paper before frosting or decorating.

• Let the kids do as much as possible. Baking is hands-on fun!
• Even the littlest children can help stir or pour ingredients into the bowl.
• Kids can handle breaking open eggs, measuring ingredients, stirring, rolling, shaping, pressing dough flat with a glass or fork, using cookie cutters, frosting and decorating.
• This is a great time to show kids the right way to handle and use knives, set the oven controls and use small appliances.

Fun and Festive Baking Projects

• Sweets for Santa. Bake and decorate cookies or bars to set out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Snow-Capped Tree Cookies or Jolly Snowman Cookies are sure to be a hit.

• Gifts for Grandma. Surprise her by baking one of her own holiday sweets, or try a new recipe like Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies or Peppermint Cookie Bark.

• Treats for Teacher. Give a homemade holiday gift to a special teacher. Welcome gifts include Cookie Cutter Fudge and Snowmen Cookies.

• Cookies to Share. Invite the kids and their friends over to have a cookie decorating party. Make and bake the cookies ahead, and let the kids finish the decorating. They’ll really get into helping with Snowman Cookie Friends or Peppermint Candy Cookies.