Tips For Baking And Cooking with Kids

Plan good times to bake. Anticipate a child wanting to help. Keep on hand some easy mixes or ingredients for some easily made recipes. Cookies and muffins are where many on our staff got their start!

Think about where a "children's baking corner" will fit in your kitchen. Younger children need more supervision, so it's great if they can work in one area while you're working in another.

Look over your baking equipment, and put items a child can use in a place they can get to easily. Bowls with handles and pouring spouts or with rubber rings on the bottom that stay put on the counter are good for kids. Or how about getting them a mixing spoon or whisk that’s just their size?

Have some simple rules. You are the best judge of the age at which your child should be allowed to use the range, oven, other appliances and sharp knives.

About that mess! At General Mills’ Kitchens, we start baking by filling the sink with warm, soapy water! As we finish using a utensil (except for sharp knives), we put it in the water to soak. Knives are washed separately. Finishing up is easier when dishes are washed as they're used.

Read the package directions or recipe all the way through with children before they start to bake. Explain anything they don't understand.

We recommend adult supervision whenever children use sharp knives, the range, the oven or small appliances.

Teach children how to correctly set the controls on the range and oven.

Teach children safe food-preparation techniques and how to handle hot foods.

When your child is old enough to use pot holders, provide ones in a size easy for smaller, less-adept hands to use.

For more easy to follow instructions and ideas while baking with kids, check out more of our cake baking tips.