How to Throw a Kid Chef Party

Cooking is becoming a very popular activity among kids these days, with new kids' cookbooks, kid-themed cooking TV shows, and cooking classes just for kids springing up all over the place. If you have a child who is interested in cooking, why not throw a kid chef birthday party? This type of party will be not only fun but educational, and, best of all, it makes a very big impression without costing a lot of money.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Blank recipe cards
• Paper chef hats
• Poster board and contact paper
• Crayons, markers, stickers, glitter, glue
• Boxed dessert mixes
• Baking supplies (multiple sets of each utensil)
• Frosting, sprinkles and candies

1. Use blank recipe cards for your party invitations. Write on each one something along the lines of: "Recipe for _____'s Birthday Party" and then include the time, date, location (your kitchen) and any other necessary details.

2. Hand each child a paper chef's hat and a piece of poster board approximately 12" x 18" as he arrives. Point him to a table with the markers, crayons, stickers, glitter, glue, and any other types of decorating materials he can use to turn the poster board into his very own placemat. You can apply contact paper to each placemat as it is finished --or, better yet, have another adult helper who can do this for you.

3. Divide the kids up into teams of two and provide each pair of kids with their own set of baking utensils (bowls, measuring cups, teaspoons, spatulas, spoons, baking pans) and a box of dessert mix --cake mix (for cupcakes), cookie mix, brownie mix or muffin mix. Make sure the birthday child gets to be part of the team that makes the cupcakes.

4. Make sure the cupcakes go into the (preheated) oven first, when all of the chef creations are ready to bake. This way they will be ready to decorate in time for cake and presents.

5. Serve up pizza and other party snacks while the cupcakes, brownies and cookies are baking. Take the cupcakes out of the oven while the children are eating and let them cool off.

6. Let everybody frost and decorate their own cupcakes with sprinkles and/or candies. You should have enough for each guest to get at least one cupcake to take home and one to eat at the party.

7. Have the birthday child open her presents as you serve up cupcakes and ice cream. Pack up the rest of the baked goods (and leftover cupcakes) in plastic storage containers so each child gets a "goodie box" to take home.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to check with the parents of all invitees before planning what to cook to be sure that there are no allergy conflicts.