My 20-month-old, Scott, can't quite reach the mixer. It's a problem for him and a plus for me. He's into everything he can reach and he would love to make our large mixer one of his main toddler activities.
Still, on baking days, his short size means a lot of lifting for me. When we start the muffins, I measure the dry ingredients and he dumps them into a bowl. I crack the eggs and smile at my toddler learning to beat them. I pour the ingredients into the mixing bowl and plug in the machine. Then I hoist him up so he can turn it on.
Together, we watch the wet and dry ingredients fold into each other, making new patterns and textures. Scott giggles, imitates the noise and shows me with his hand how the blade goes around and around. He may not recognize "his" muffins when they come out of the oven, but he has a great time creating them.
Baking Is a Toddler Activity With Hands-On Appeal
Baking with a toddler definitely has its drawbacks. It's messy, time consuming and requires large amounts of patience. But it is also one of the best toddler learning activities to involve your child in the normal workings of a creative household.
Many household tasks have become too abstract for children to understand. Balancing a checkbook, making phone calls, even shopping has limited hands-on appeal. But cooking is something that young children can get their freshly-washed hands on. And by doing so, they can start to understand the math, physics, chemistry and biology involved in the art of preparing food.
Toddler's Activities: Assign Child-Sized Jobs
We start our muffins by putting the paper in the muffin tins; I hand him one piece of paper at a time and let him take as long as he wants deciding where to put it. Then, I stand next to him and control the addition of ingredients into the mixing bowl. I count each scoop and encourage him to join me. So far, "two" is his favorite, if only, number.
When we've mixed everything, he helps fill the muffin tins. He loves to spoon the gooey batter into the cups, though he has a problem understanding that we are trying to make many muffins, not one, absolutely gigantic, overflowing one.
Luckily for me, Scott isn't a child who puts much in his mouth. However, I still need to remind him not to put anything extra into the batter. The first time we baked, I removed a toy horse from the batter. Since then I've given him empty spice containers so he can pour on all the pretend cinnamon and pepper he wants.
Kitchen Learning Opportunities are Bountiful
Scott and I bake together mostly for fun, but the project also provides practice for fine motor skills (the muscle control required to make small, precise movements, such as picking up a raisin or filling a measuring spoon).
Plus, it allows my young chef to explore some important educational concepts. He's learning math (counting and measuring); vocabulary (the difference between full and empty, first and last); physics (wet meets dry); chemistry (ingredients change when mixed and baked); and biology (bread rises because yeast is alive and makes gas).
And most importantly to him, the amazing workings of an electric mixer.
Amy Hansen is the mother of two sons in Greenbelt, MD. When not writing about her children, she writes about science. Her next book, Bugs to Bugsicles: Insects in the Winter, will be coming out soon from Boyds Mills Press.