Building Connections with Kids in the Kitchen

Spring break is a great time to get kids involved in the kitchen.

Cooking with your kids has many benefits, including improving fine motor skills, encouraging healthy eating and teaching life skills. But more than that, it’s an opportunity to build connection. The kitchen is a good place for catching up, sharing stories and learning more about each other all while making a meal together.

For some families, cooking together is a natural part of their day-to-day. But with busy schedules and after-school demands, it can often feel easier for parents to get the cooking done themselves without the slowdown that comes with little people in the kitchen. Even carving out time once a week or just once in a while will be beneficial. If you do some food prep on the weekend, bring the kids in to help. Or, during spring break, when you’re looking for something for your kids to do, create a fun kitchen activity you can do together.

Kids are often happy to be asked to help and will feel proud of their finished product.

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite recipes for kids and parents to cook together this spring.

Snickerdoodles

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups sugar, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 ¼ cups sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture; stir until a soft dough forms.
3. In a small bowl, combine remaining ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
4. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar mixture. Place balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Bunny Pancakes

Serves 4

• ¾ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled (plus more for cooking)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Bananas, blueberries and carrot strips for decorating
• Maple syrup

1. Combine the yogurt, milk, eggs and butter in a medium bowl, whisking until smooth. Gently whisk in the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add a pat of butter to the skillet or griddle.
3. To make the bunny head, pour a large circle of batter onto hot cooking surface. Turn once bubbles start to form. Cook about 4-5 minutes total or until pancake is lightly browned. To make the bunny ears, pour batter into two long, narrow oval shapes, following the same cooking instructions.
4. Once finished cooking, assemble the bunnies by placing a circle (bunny head) and two ovals (bunny ears) on each plate. Place a sliced banana round for the mouth and blueberries for the eyes. Thin strands of carrots make cute whiskers. Drizzle with warm maple syrup.

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

Serves 4

• 1/2 pound cooked, shredded chicken breast
• 1/2 package taco seasoning or 1 1/2 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 large flour tortillas
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 1/2 cup diced bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. Combine cooked, shredded chicken breast with taco seasoning. Alternately, you can cook the chicken with the taco seasoning. (One good way to do this is to combine the chicken with taco seasoning and 1 cup chicken broth, cooking on low for 6 hours in a slow cooker.)
2. Combine cheddar and mozzarella in a small bowl. Place 4 tortillas on a cutting board; divide and sprinkle cheese evenly between them. Divide chicken evenly between the tortillas. (You may not want to use all the chicken and can save it for other meals.) Sprinkle tomatoes and peppers on top of chicken. Fold over one side of each tortilla. Pressing down to hold together.
3. Add butter to large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Gently place folded tortillas onto hot cooking surface, cooking about 2 minutes per side or until golden and cheese is completely melted.

Springtime Pasta Salad

Serves 6

• 12 ounces dried bowtie pasta
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped chives
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) package mozzarella pearls
• 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) peas
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 avocados, diced

1. Boil pasta according to package directions until done.
2. While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, combine the basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, vinegar, chives, red pepper, salt and pepper. Add hot pasta, tossing and mixing vigorously to combine. Add mozzarella, peas, tomatoes and avocado.

Note: Serve warm, room temperature or chilled – whatever is your preference. If chilled, you may want to add a little more olive oil and vinegar before serving.

Why Cook with Your Kids

Build a Bond:

Create fun and lasting memories while baking cookies or slicing veggies. It doesn’t matter what you’re cooking. The bond is formed from standing side by side, cooking, talking and laughing together.

Share Family Lore:

Dig out an old recipe of your grandmother’s or find something to cook from a passed-down cookbook. Don’t have any family recipes? No worries! Share a memory with your kids about your favorite meal from when you were a kid.

Encourage Healthy Eating:

Show rather than tell your kids how to eat healthy. Kids will pick up on the importance of eating a healthy, balanced diet when they spend some time with you in the kitchen. It’s more effective than a lecture.

Try New Foods:

Feeding specialists will tell you – kids are more likely to try new foods when they have had a role in preparing them. Touching, smelling and tasting new foods while cooking makes them less scary than suddenly seeing them on a plate at dinnertime.

Build Math Power:

No matter your kid’s age, cooking is a good way to use math. Addition, multiplication, measuring and fractions can all be used as part of cooking.

Improve Fine Motor Skills:

Kitchen-related tasks are perfect for building your kids’ fine motor skills. Think stirring, chopping, sorting and pouring. It can be as simple as pulling grapes off the stem or more complicated like peeling a carrot.

Get Creative:

Cooking is a great creative outlet for kids. It gives kids a chance to experiment, invent and play. Older kids can really use their creative expression through bread making and cake decorating.

Simple Ideas for Cooking Together

• Blueberry muffins from a mix
• Charcuterie board (let them use their creativity to arrange it)
• Flipping pancakes
• Homemade macaroni and cheese
• Bagels (this is a fun one to do with older kids)
• English muffin pizza
• Fruit and yogurt parfaits
• Chicken noodle soup

Natalie Mikles is a mom of three. She writes about food, sharing recipes for busy families and picky eaters. She has been recognized for her food columns as well as features on families and issues affecting local children. Natalie loves pizza and movie nights with her family.