Why you should encourage your kids to bake

My kids love to bake, all of them, though the littler three especially. Ever since they were big enough to sit up on the side, I’ve had them in the kitchen with me when I’m baking – even very little one’s love stirring and pouring! Not only is it fun, it’s a vital life skill – and I think the earlier you get your kids involved in the making of food the better.

There’s rarely a week goes by that we don’t bake at least one batch of cakes, and most often it’s the kids that do the majority of the work now. I’m not one of those Mama’s who’s worried about a bit of mess, as kids do tend to make a mess baking! Nothing beats an afternoon together in the kitchen, whipping up a sweet treat for pudding, making memories and having a giggle along the way.

If you’ve not baked with your kids before, here are four reasons you should give it a try!

1| Baking is a great way to be creative – you may not get Pinterest-worthy results, but let your kids lose with the icing, sprinkles and writing icing pens and I can guarantee they’ll have a blast. It’s a great way to encourage their imagination and let their creativity flow!

2| Baking is bonding time – when I’m in the kitchen with my kids, they have my full attention and I have theirs. We’re not distracted by screens or games or friends. We usually end up chatting about everything and anything, and I hope making memories they’ll treasure forever.

3| Baking is educational – whether it’s your toddler cutting out eggs, or an older child weighing ingredients, or a chat about changing states when you bake those cakes – baking teaches so much more than just how to make a tasty cake!

4| Baking teaches patience – it takes a while to make a cake – from gathering and measuring ingredients, to mixing it together, baking it, letting it cool, decorating it… patience is a really important life skill – and what better way to teach it than through baking – when you get a tasty reward for your efforts at the end?!

This week {so far} we’ve baked Iced Vanilla Cupcakes with chocolate footballs and shimmer spray, Chocolate Salted Caramels with Chocolate Frosting and heart marshmallows, Pumpkin Spiced Muffins and another batch of chocolate chip cookies! I love to keep a basket full of various sprinkles and cake decorations on hand so the kids can decorate however they like. We’re also planning on making some more of this salted caramel shortbread {but a vegan version} this weekend!