Baking with a toddler question?

pincushion

How old was your toddler when you first started to let them "help"?

Can you recommend a good step stool type thing? Not to expensive because I need 2.

 

Miles and Emilia really want to help in the kitchen. I have let Miles dump the eggs into batter or sugar into the batter but that is it. Emilia is usually sleeping during this time or it would be a scream fest.

I got them https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/b229/index.cfm?pkey=csilicone%2Dbakeware%2Dtools this for their Thanksgiving gifts with coordinating aprons. I think they would have  a blast.. I am just worried that it would be more trouble than it is worth with 2. That and Emilia can't help but "test" everything out.

 

AnnapolisLari

22ish months.

I can't help with the stool, because my mom bought him one of those not-cheap Learning Towers for Christmas.

shouldbeworkin

DS probably just started to help.  DD wants to help too, but usually she is fine with playing with empty bowls and spoons while DS helps me crack eggs, dump things in the bowl and mix. 

pincushion

yup...the Learning Tower .. MIL wants to get the kids those for Christmas after seeing them in her Montessori catalog . They are a little to big especially with needing 2. I may cave and let her.

AnnapolisLari

The LT are big enough to hold 2 kids, I think. But if you have a volunteer to buy them, I'd go for it.

joseysbride

Around two, I think.  We have an island and stools with backs, so I just hook her booster chair on the stool and let her do it that way.  It's a mess, but I don't mind cleaning it up as long as we both have fun.

DandR

yeah...sometime around two.  Now both girls can crack eggs (they crack into a seperate bowl so I can fish out a shell piece if necessary) and they love baking/cooking.

Mitch wants to be up there too...so I need to figure out something new.  Currently, we have a bar height counter that sort of juts out...I stand on one side and the girls sit in the bar stools on the other side...we only have two stools though.

Zenya

I put a big towel on the floor and we mix the bowl down there.  It's not ideal but it works.

tmp-726880625006534

DD is 2.5 and we started letting her help over the summer.  My mom bakes a lot and watches her 2 days a week so she started her "helping".   She loves it (of course her favorite part is to lick the beaters).  She helped me bake for Thanksgiving  - she can help pour stuff in the bowl and hand mix otherwise she just likes to watch.  She helped make pumpkin bread yesterday and is so excited to tell everyone when she helps. 

We have this stool from Target:

https://www.target.com/Step-Stool-with-Storage-Natural/dp/B000PC2S44/sr=1-5/qid=1228401216/ref=sr_1_5/190-7613698-3317043?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Astep%20stool&page=1

I know I did not pay $30 for it - I am pretty sure it was $19 in the store.  It has a little storage area which you can put their aprons, tools, etc.  If that is too much $ then here is another one without storage:

https://www.target.com/Circo-One-Step-Stool-White/dp/B001ATKIJ8/sr=1-8/qid=1228401216/ref=sr_1_8/190-7613698-3317043?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Astep%20stool&page=1

 

 

amiamish

Jake stands with me and "helps" cook dinner every night, he also LOVES to help me wash the dishes- he uses his little scrubber and reaches in the sink and washes with me. It's a lot of fun, oh and we just pull a chair over from the table and butt it up against the counter.

A couple weeks ago we made and decorated sugar cookies, he stood in a chair at the table and helped cut them out. Then he helped decorate them by putting ONE sprinkle at a time on it...that kept him busy for about 10min (one cookie). LOL!!!!

august0605bride

He took a 6 week cooking class at a local kid's cafe this summer (when he turned 2), and he loved it so much-- we cook and bake together almost everyday.

He stands on a kitchen chair at the counter and can break eggs, stir, add ingredients, etc. ?They learned to measure and pour in his class-- it was adorable!!?