Baking ideas for the school holidays: Encourage education and creativity in the kitchen

Baking with the kids during the school holidays is a fun activity that often results in something delicious. Photo / Getty Images

Looking for an activity to do keep the kids busy? Unite your family on a baking adventure filled with teamwork, communication, creativity and, hopefully, delicious results.

Baking with children is a wonderful activity for the school holidays. Embrace the mess, celebrate the successes and cherish the memories created in the kitchen with your little ones. It’s also not just about creating delicious treats; it’s an enriching experience that can stimulate their minds and create quality family time, and also allow for self-expression.

Here’s a school holiday guide to make baking a delightful and educational adventure.

Use baking as a lesson in educational fun

Baking involves precise measurements, providing an excellent opportunity to teach children about fractions, addition and multiplication. You can also explore the chemical reactions that occur during baking, such as how ingredients like yeast and baking soda interact to make dough rise.

Language skills can also be improved with baking as you introduce new words to add to their vocabulary related to it, such as whisking, kneading, and proofing.

Baking recipes require following step-by-step instructions, helping children develop their reading comprehension and sequencing abilities.

Cooking together creates family bonding

Baking together creates great memories and strengthens family bonds as you work towards a common goal.

Encourage teamwork and communication by assigning tasks to each family member, fostering co-operation and collaboration.

Baking allows children to express their creativity through decorating cookies, cakes and cupcakes with frosting, sprinkles and edible decorations. Experiment with different flavours and ingredients, encouraging children to think outside the box.

Get decorating - kids can find creative expression in the kitchen

Decorating pre-made pancakes is an easy activity for kids these holidays.

Giving kids a canvas to play on is just as important in the kitchen. Pancake decorating is a fun activity, and pre-made alternatives mean no one needs to dig out a skillet and whisk, with brands like Marcels offering ready-to-heat options and a world of opportunity:

• Encourage children to decorate pre-made pancakes with various toppings like sprinkles, sliced fruits, chocolate chips, whipped cream and syrups and express their creativity.
• Challenge children to build the tallest pancake stack they can using pre-made pancakes, promoting fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities.
• Let children put their favourite fillings between two pancakes to create unique and delicious pancake sandwiches.
• Cut pre-made pancakes into various shapes and sizes, then let children assemble them like puzzles before enjoying their edible creations.

Holiday baking ideas

Focus on things that are fun to make (and eat).

Photo / Babiche Martens

Sugarless banana loaf recipe.

Make moist and delicious banana bread together using ripe bananas. Let children mash the bananas and stir the batter. This recipe has the bonus of being made without any refined sugar.

Photo / Babiche Martens

Oatmeal, raisin and spice cookies recipe.

Bake chewy oatmeal cookies studded with raisins or chocolate chips. Children can help measure ingredients and drop spoonfuls of dough on to baking sheets.

Photo / Babiche Martens

Margarita pizza recipe.

Create home-made pizza dough and let children top it with their favourite vegetables like capsicum, tomatoes and mushrooms. Baking their personalised pizzas promotes healthy eating and creativity.