Image credit: Alena Ozerova / Adobe Stock
At The Cookie Cups, we love teaching kids how to cook. At our children's birthday parties, our staff helps the guest of honor and their friends make and decorate their own cookies, pizzas, and tacos, and we're planning to host our 2020 Kids Summer Cooking Camp this June.
While we’re all sheltering at home, you can bring some culinary fun into the kitchen and participate in these food activities as a family. Here are some edible craft ideas to get you and the kids through the quarantine.
1. Peanut butter play dough
Play dough is a crowd favorite among children, and it often keeps them busy for hours. With just some peanut butter, honey, and milk or powdered sugar, you can have a quick (and entertaining) treat for the kids. Get creative by incorporating other kitchen snacks, like pretzel sticks and M&Ms, so your little ones can build cute creatures or objects.
2. Rock candy science experiment
Candy and science -- what better combination for curious kids? To teach and feed your kids something sweet, we recommend the Rock Candy Science Experiment, which consists only of water, sugar and food coloring (optional), and calls for a wooden skewer, clothes pin and pint-sized jar.
This simple project takes place over the span of a few days, as it takes time for the crystals to form. However, this helps build patience in your little ones and gives them something to look forward to each day. They’ll have fun observing the progress and -- eventually -- getting to indulge in the delicious final product.
3. Homemade ice cream
You don’t even need an ice-cream maker to whip up this homemade treat. All you need -- in addition to your milk and cream of choice, and sugar -- is dry ice and a stand mixer. Feel free to add some additional ingredients to jazz it up, like chocolate chips, edible cookie dough or even some fresh fruit.
The process is easy and relatively quick (you’ll be able to eat it the same day you make it). When it’s ready to serve, make an ice cream bar with the kids’ favorite toppings, and enjoy the dessert as a family. If your kids are lactose intolerant or don’t eat dairy, coconut cream is a great substitute!
4. Mini Jell-O aquariums
What do aquariums and Jell-O have in common? Kids love them! This sweet treat calls for Nerds or candy rocks, blue Jell-O, and Swedish Fish -- a combo sure to excite your children’s (and likely your own) taste buds.
Grab a mason jar or plastic cups, and layer the Nerds/candy rocks on the bottom, Jell-O in the middle, and Swedish Fish on top or pushed into the Jell-O.
5. Marshmallow slime
Slime, like play dough, is another popular trend among children today. Fortunately, this recipe is edible and non-toxic, so your kids will be safe, entertained, and satisfied. Using just marshmallows, coconut oil, corn starch, icing sugar and food coloring, you and your little ones can create this fun and yummy treat together
We hope you find these fun food activities helpful as we all work to keep our families occupied (and fed) at home!
Although our cafe seating areas are closed, The Cookie Cups is still operating during COVID-19. Place a delivery order through DoorDash, or check out this blog post to learn how to continue supporting us.