How to Include a Toddler in Preparing Holiday Meals

Toddlers love to help in the kitchen. Even though they may not be able to perform complicated tasks or read recipes, they can still help you prepare your holiday foods.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cookies
• Cookie Cutters
• Cookie Sheets
• Mixing Bowls
• Personalized Aprons
• Spatulas
• Cookie sheets
• Spatulas
• Mixing bowls

1. Give them toddler-sized tasks. They can add premeasured ingredients to mixing bowls, wash vegetables and fruit, and stir cake batter and cookie dough.

2. Let them roll things into balls. Many holiday recipes (including some cookies, truffles and rolls) need to be shaped into small balls or disks ' show your toddler how to do it once or twice, and you may be amazed how quickly she picks up the skill.

3. Let them prick things with a fork (carefully!). Some doughs and pastries need to be pricked all over before baking to reduce air bubbles, and most toddlers are enthusiastic about this task.

4. Show them how to mash things. Toddlers can mash potatoes or vegetables with a fork or masher ' just make sure the food isn't too hot, and let them work in an area that you don't mind getting splattered.

5. Let them arrange things on plates. Toddlers love to lay out piles of cookies or cupcakes ' just make sure they don't eat everything before it hits the platter!

6. Get them to decorate holiday cakes and cookies with sprinkles, colored sugar and small candies. Frost the cakes or cookies yourself, then let them get creative.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a sturdy step stool in the kitchen to help your little one reach the counters.
• Lay out cake and cookie decorating supplies in small dishes or bowls, rather than letting your child reach into the package ' this will reduce the possibility of major spills and help to keep supplies clean and safe.
• Even if your toddler is too young to help out much, she can still feel useful ' just set her up at a small table or in a highchair nearby, and give her children's molding clay, plastic cookie cutters, and other safe kitchen utensils to play with.
• A child-sized apron, personalized with fabric paint, is a great holiday gift for little chefs-in-training.
• Never let anyone handle raw poultry or taste raw dough or batter that contains eggs. Raw eggs and poultry can be contaminated with salmonella, so stuff the turkey yourself, and resist the urge to lick baking bowls and spoons.
• Keep knives out of your toddler's reach, and teach your kids to be careful around stoves and ovens ' especially when the oven is on for baking or roasting.
• When your children help you decorate holiday baking, watch out for small items that they could choke on. Be sure to monitor how much they actually eat while they work.

on 11/22/2005 Letting toddlers mix ingredients with their hands is always a big hit. As long as their hands are clean, and you don't mind the area getting a little bit messy, they can be occupied for ages!

on 11/22/2005 When I was a lass, I loved to sprinkle the sprinkles on the cookies my mother made. Stirring dry ingredients was always fun, too, although this should be done with caution (unless you want a flour-dusted kitchen).