Okay, so it’s true. I love snow! It makes our little corner of the world bright and beautiful. Of course, you need to dress warmly—in layers—to visit the frozen lake by our home. Always cover your head and hands and keep your feet warm. Never step onto the ice unless you’ve had at least a week or two of below freezing temperatures, and the ice feels solid.
A snow-covered footbridge took us over the frozen stream to the other side of the lake.
There we spied a duck and believe it to be a female Canvasback because of its cinnamon-colored, sloping head. Feel free to correct us, as we just looked online to identify it.
But temperatures were dropping, and the cold chilled our noses. So we returned home to bake with the kids.
You need patience to allow children the pleasure of baking with you. All my children helped to create homemade recipes with me; Christmas cookies, Amish Friendship breads, homemade sweet rolls and cinnamon bread, pizza dough and apple pies, stuffing and meatballs.
The key is not to be in a hurry. No rush.
No snapping because of spilled ingredients. Enjoy the flour fluffs on cheeks! Clean up after the cookies are made. And have the children help you.
Baking together must be fun. For all of you!
Remember you are teaching as well as having fun when you bake with the kids. You allow them to be in charge as much as possible.
My children loved to be in charge of stirring. They counted with me to measure the flour or baking powder. They cracked the eggs. Okay, so the eggs were more smashed on the side of the bowel then cracked. We got most of the egg into the batter. Just pick out the bigger eggshells. The little ones add calcium to the mixture.
Teach your children to read the ingredients on the recipe, to sound out the words, and to think which ingredient the word could be. Let them choose the half cup or quarter cup; the tablespoon or the teaspoon. Teach them their numbers by letting them tell you how many quarter teaspoons of baking soda to add to the batter.
Let the children smell the ingredients as you add them into the bowel. Let them smell the mixture you’re creating together.
And let the children handle the dough, knead it. Show them how the yeast makes the dough rise and double in size. Let them roll out the cookies or spoon out an amount onto the cookie tray. Children enjoy getting into the batter with their hands. Allow time for this.
Baking is a full-sensory experience. Make it fun with your children. You’ll create years’ worth of fond memories; both for you and your kids. Have fun!
Baking ca be so much fun with kids. Like you said, you do have to be patient. I still bake with my daughter at the holidays now that she’s an adult.
Baking can be loads of fun with kids, so long as we have the time and patience. Yes, I still bake with my daughters at the holidays, too, Natalie.
Thank you so much for your note. It’s always a pleasure seeing you here at Camping with Five Kids. Have a beautiful weekend!
Baking is a great thing to do when it’s cold outside. I used to love doing it with my mom, and I enjoyed doing it with my kids. I bet your kids love doing it with you!
Yes they do, Sherry! And we truly enjoy the results. Of course, the memories last a lifetime.
Thank you so much for your note here at Adventures in Writing. All best to you!