Cooking with Kids – 5 Easy Recipes for Family Fun in the Kitchen
Looking for a fun and affordable way to spend quality time as a family? Cooking with kids is a brilliant way to get little ones engaged, teach them essential life skills, and make mealtimes extra special. Plus, it’s a great way to encourage picky eaters to try new things!
Whether it’s a rainy weekend or you’re simply looking for easy kids recipes to make during the holidays, these simple meals and snacks are perfect for getting the whole family involved.
🍕 Easy homemade pizzas
Mini pitta pizzas are one of the easiest and most fun meals for children. Everyone can choose their own toppings, which makes it perfect for even the fussiest eaters.
Ingredients:
- Wholemeal pitta breads
- Tomato purée or pizza sauce
- Grated mozzarella
- Toppings: peppers, ham, mushrooms, sweetcorn
How to make:
Spread the sauce over the pittas, sprinkle with cheese, and add your chosen toppings. Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.
Check out the range of children's cooking utensils on Amazon and this pizza tray for Asda is only £2.50!
🍫 Chocolate Cornflake Cakes – A No-Bake Treat
These no-bake chocolate cornflake cakes are an old-school favourite and a brilliant way to introduce children to kitchen basics.
You’ll need:
- 200g milk chocolate
- 2 tbsp golden syrup or honey
- 100g cornflakes
Instructions:
Melt chocolate and syrup/honey together, stir in the cornflakes, then spoon into cupcake cases. Chill for 1–2 hours.
I found these gorgeous range cupcake cases at Lakeland priced from £1.40
🍌 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes – Healthy & Kid-Friendly
These naturally sweet banana pancakes are ideal for weekend breakfasts or snacks and can be whipped up in minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp baking powder
Mash the banana, mix with eggs and baking powder, then cook in a non-stick pan for 1–2 mins per side.
This non stick Ninja frying pan is a kitchen essential, maybe a little pricey but it will honestly out last any others. At time of writing it was reduced from £24.99 to £16.99
🍡 Fruit & Yoghurt Skewers – Colourful and Nutritious
Fruit kebabs are a great way to encourage healthy eating. Let kids thread their own colourful creations onto wooden skewers.
Best fruits to use:
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Melon
- Banana
- Apple chunks
- Serve with Greek yoghurt or a little chocolate sauce for dipping.
Check out this 6 piece kids safety chopping set, including cutting board, peeler and premium PP material safety knives.
🍪 Cookie Decorating Station – Unleash Their Inner Artist
Whether you bake your own or use shop-bought, cookie decorating is one of the most fun cooking activities for children.
What you need:
- Plain cookies
- Icing pens
- Sprinkles
- Mini marshmallows or chocolate chips
Let them go wild creating their own designs. Great for birthdays or playdates!
I found some great cookie decorating kits on Amazon, or if you are more a do-it-yourselfer, check out these amazing cookie cutters at Lakeland!!
🧁 Must-Have Kitchen Tools for Cooking with Kids
If you're planning to cook more with the kids, these tools make it even easier (and safer!):
🧑🍳 Aprons for all the family at Dunelm
🔪 Child-safe knives
🥣 Mixing bowls & measuring sets
📚 Cookbook for kids
👨👩👧👦 Why Cooking with Kids is So Beneficial
Not only is family cooking time a chance to bond, but it also helps kids:
- Develop fine motor skills
- Improve maths through measuring
- Learn about nutrition
- Feel a sense of pride and independence
And best of all—it creates memories that last a lifetime ❤️
✨ Final Thoughts
Cooking with kids doesn’t have to be stressful. With a few simple recipes, some mess-friendly tools, and lots of encouragement, you can turn your kitchen into a place of fun, learning, and laughter.
Enjoy!
Love, Ashleigh x
