Who doesn’t like getting messy in the kitchen? Whether it’s mixing or washing or cutting or baking, all kitchen based activities are a great way to engage with children of all ages, instilling a sense of purpose and achievement appropriate to their age range. The older they are, the more they can take on in terms of responsibility and ideas. For the little ones, it’s a chance to work on their fine motor skills, and challenge some of their risk-taking abilities in a safe and secure setting.
Here are some ideas.
1. Veg and Fruit Kebabs
This is so simple and easy to do. With some guidance, kids as young as 3 can do all the steps in this recipe.
Equipment:
- Knife, chopping board, colander for rinsing the fruit and kebab sticks
Ingredients:
- You can use any fruit or veg that you like for this activity. Apples, bananas, papaya, mango, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers…
Instructions:
- Simply wash the fruit or veg
- Cut into bit size pieces
- Carefully start to build your kebab using different flavours, textures, colours and styles
- Eat!
** Work on helping thread the fruit and veg pieces onto the kebab sticks in lots of different ways, pushing, stabbing, piercing. Use vocabulary to help expand this activity.
2. Smoothies
A great way to get fresh fruit and veg into our kids is by making smoothies.
Equipment:
- Knife, chopping board, blender, jug, glass or beaker
Ingredients:
- As with the kebabs, you can use any combination you like, or have lying around. Soft fruit works best.
- Combine the fruit with yogurt, nut milks or fruit juices to add texture and flavour.
Instructions:
- Choose your fruit
- Wash, peel and cut up the fruit into chunks
- Add to the blender along with yogurt, milk or juice
- Pour and DRINK!
** Try freezing the smoothies in ice pop trays to make delicious fruity ice pops
3. Rice Crispy Cakes
These are so yummy. The hardest part might be finding the rice crispies in Bangkok, but most import supermarkets should stock them.
Equipment:
- Scales, mixing bowl, mixing spoon, cake cases, muffin tray, spoon, fridge for cooling
Ingredients:
- 60gms butter, 3 tablespoons of golden syrup, 100gms chocolate, 90gms rice crispies
Instructions:
- Melt chocolate in the microwave for 30 second until runny
- Stir in butter and golden syrup and allow to cool slightly
- Mix in rice crispies
- Stir until the crispies are fully covered in chocolate
- Place cake cases into the muffin tin
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the cases
- Place in the fridge to cool for an hour
** You can use any type of cereal for this, including cornflakes
*** Decorate with any type of chocolate, sweet, or dried fruit and nuts
These are just three simple no-bake recipes to try at home. Make cleaning and washing up part of the fun at the end before you sit down to enjoy your feast.
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