If you’re anything like me, the thought of cooking with a toddler probably starts to give you anxiety! The mess, the time, the challenges, they can all seem overwhelming! But, as my son got older and more curious, I realized that sometimes, you just have to embrace the chaos! So, here are my tips and tricks for cooking/baking with toddlers!
1. Get Your Supplies!
Today, we are making waffles! This is a super simple (and delicious) way to introduce your child to being in the kitchen! So, before I involved Luka, I got out our eggs, measured our oil and milk, and measured out our Bisquick! I also grabbed some cinnamon and chocolate chips! I’ve found that having everything ready to go helps create a less stressful cooking experience!
2. Set Up Your Station!
When we started baking with Luka, we didn’t have a child size table. So, for us, the easiest solution was laying out an old blanket on the kitchen floor and setting up our work station on the floor! This way, everything was easy for him to reach, I wasn’t worried about him falling over or knocking things off the counter, and it made our clean up super quick and easy!
3. Prepare For The Mess!
Remember, they are KIDS! So be prepared for them to spill and make mistakes. For us, our blanket trick helped with spillage because as soon as we are done, we can just throw the blanket in the wash. Just keep in mind, they are still so little and developing, so spills and messes are going to happen. Remain Calm, and teach them how to clean up their mess. It’s a win-win!
4. Get Them Involved!
I try to let Luka get as involved as possible when we are baking/cooking in the kitchen! The only thing that I did myself was use the actual waffle maker (we haven’t taught him that one yet). He knows it’s hot and to not touch, but spooning the batter into the iron is a little advanced for him right now. Below is an example of how our waffle making went!
First, I had all of our already measured ingredients on the side of our work station and I let him put them all in the mixing bowl! Then, I showed him how to mix it up and we stirred until all the basic ingredients were mixed in! He had so much fun watching the individual things turn into one bowl of batter!
In our family, we LOVVVEEEEE cinnamon, so I usually add some into our pancake/waffle mix. So, I showed Luka how to sprinkle some in and he went to town! He probably added a bit more than I would have, but it worked and he loved it!
What’s better than waffles??? Chocolate Chip Waffles!! So I handed him a bowl of chocolate chips and let him put them in! Now, some kids will just dump the whole bowl in there at once, or, in my case, they take their time! Luka spent about 10 minutes adding each chocolate chip into the batter one at a time. I guess they had to be in the perfect spot!
After mixing in all the chocolate chips, it was time to make waffles! As I mentioned before, I do not let him use the iron yet, but it doesn’t mean he can’t start to learn! So, each spoonful of batter we put on the iron, we counted! This kept him engaged, it made him practice counting, and he was also intensely watching me put each scoop in the iron, so one day he can do it himself!
Our favorite part?? Getting to eat! He was so proud of himself and couldn’t wait to show daddy wait he had made! Now, making waffles is usually a 15 minute process and it took us about 45 minutes from start to finish, but he’s learning! Sometimes, you have to remember that cooking doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be an activity! I HIGHLY recommend getting your children involved in making meals! Not only is it a great way to keep them entertained, it also introduces them to the kitchen and allows them to start having a relationship with their food!
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