Homeschooling is in full swing and I’ve been incorporating some crafty recipes for kids to mix it up. As I mentioned in my Magic Lemonade, cooking with kids is a great way to bond while also teaching them in fun and creative ways. The girls both have the sweetest teachers and Tilly’s teacher asked me if I had some kids cooking ideas to share with the class. While emailing her a long list, I thought this would be useful to all of you as well. The following post is a list of some fun and crafty recipes for kids to do during these days at home.
How Kids Learn While Cooking & Baking
Before we get to the list of crafty recipes for kids, let’s look at how awesome it is for kids to cook with adults.
First, there is the bonding experience you gain. My earliest memories include those of cooking alongside of my Mom. It obviously impacted what I grew up to be! But other than that, when I share time in the kitchen with the kids and my Mom, we talk and laugh and learn about each other. My Mom always shared stories about her childhood or her own mother and what was special to her about the recipe we were making from her culture.
And I find myself doing that with Bea and Tilly now. We have been making cooking videos on Instagram and the girls say the funniest things about what the food looks like. This buds creative thinking. When we were whipping up cheesecake, Bea pointed out that it looked like a brain due to the pattern the mixture left behind.
Additionally, kids use math. They measure, count, and more! They also learn to read recipes and the sequence of how the recipes go. Bea has started writing shopping lists for me. She has even begun thinking like a baker. She knows that bakes needs certain ingredients and use specific pans for cupcakes or layer cakes or brownies.
Teamwork is a must when it comes to crafty recipes for kids since they need help. This leads to greater communication and team building. Additionally, Bea teaches Tilly during our cooking sessions. And Tilly teaches Bea right back! Just the other day, she was showing Bea to smell the cake mixture to see if there was enough vanilla extract. They use all of their senses to bake and love getting messy and colorful in the kitchen.
These crafty recipes will give your kids creative ways to create a blend of art meets food while building confidence and having so much fun. These cute treats will teach them about science or math or even how to help out parents with clean up.
So now let’s move on to a list of 12 crafty recipes for kids!
12 Crafty Recipes With Kids
MAGIC LEMONADE
Have fun with the science behind this Magic Lemonade! Watch how adding lemon juice interacts with butterfly pea powder to turn the blue to purple!
SPRINKLE SUGAR COOKIES
Who doesn’t love Sprinkle Sugar Cookies?! These cookies are so simple and are made in minutes. Kids will love making dough balls and rolling them in sprinkles of their choice. And these make snack-time so much fun!
HIDDEN HEART CAKE
Making Hidden Pattern Cakes are much easier than you may think! You can use any cookie cutter shape you want for Holidays, Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter fun!
HOW TO FREEZE FRUITS
While this isn’t exactly one of the crafty recipes for kids, it is a fun food activity for kids. Freezing Fresh Fruits is an activity that my girls love to do! First they wash their hands. Then they wash the fruit. After drying the fruit they get to freeze it. This helps them count and sort and help out in the kitchen! Also, handling fresh fruit always encourages children to eat more fruits!
BIRDS NESTS
Butterscotch Birds Nests are a hands on activity that is messy and fun for kids of all ages! This is a simple treat that is perfect for Springtime and Easter. Please note that this uses peanut butter, so if you or your child has a nut allergy then contact me for an alternative recipe, or do not make.
OREO BAT COOKIES
Oreo Bat Cookies are an awesome crafty recipe for kids! Especially chocolate lovers!
EASY COOKIE CAKE
This easy cookie cake is simple, colorful, and lets kids have a blast testing out their piping skills!
TROPICAL GRANOLA SMOOTHIE POPSICLES
Kids love popsicles, so have them whip up healthy ones that use fruit and yogurt. Tropical Smoothie Pops are a tasty treat that has an added granola recipe that is also a fun recipe for kids.
KEY LIME PUPPY CHOW
Puppy Chow With a tropical makeover! If you love Top Chef, Then you will be so excited to make this Key Lime Crunch from Top Chef!
PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE CUPS
No bake cheesecake cups that use pantry ingredients and some fresh fruit are great for getting kids measuring and doing a mini food art project! They are also super yummy and one of the most popular recipes on this blog.
BAKED DONUTS (WITH A VEGAN OPTION)
Who doesn’t love donuts? And these chocolate baked donuts are healthier than the fried alternative! Also, they are fun to decorate. See recipe notes to make these Vegan.
BOOZA!
Stretchy Ice Cream, anyone? This is awesome to make with kids! They can whisk, stretch, watch how the ice cream changes texture and gets super stretchy and elastic. It’s also fun to teach the kids the history of this unique treat.
I hope you enjoyed these crafty recipes for kids! Feel free to email with with any post requests on more fun food activities to do with your children. And join me on Instagram, where Bea, Tilly, and I are sharing fun cooking videos!
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