Beat school holiday boredom with kid-friendly recipes

By Jul 19, 2020 Children

Calling all parents! The summer holidays are now in full swing, and if you’re struggling for kid-friendly activities to keep the little ones entertained, then look no further.

For many families, this summer may be a little different to normal. With travel restrictions still in place to many destinations, UAE families are likely to be spending the school break at home. So why not utilise this time to instill an array of lifelong values, from the comfort of your kitchen? 

We know what you’re thinking – but cooking with children doesn’t need to be a stressful activity (we promise!) Treat it as an opportunity to share with them the joy that preparing a delicious family meal brings to you, and we’re certain they’ll soon feel the same.

With the help of Hello Chef’s delicious, family-friendly meal kits and step-by-step instructions, we guarantee that there will always be room for a mini chef to help in the kitchen. Simply follow our three easy steps to ensure a stress-free cooking experience! 

Choose your recipe

Firstly, pick your recipe – preferably one that involves lots of hands-on interaction for the little ones to enjoy (we’re thinking homemade patties would be a great choice!) Coming up on the menu this week is a perfect example: our family favourite, parmesan chicken and coleslaw with sweet potato fries. Though simple to make, this recipe has a number of steps that your mini chef can get involved in. 

Create a to-do list 

Secondly, create a task list for your little helper that complements the tasks you’ll be taking care of yourself. This will give your cooking session structure, and give your mini chef a sense of purpose and responsibility in the kitchen. Write this down so that each task can be ticked off once completed, to ensure progress is being monitored. In this instance, we haven’t included any tasks that require a knife – but if you’re confident, there’s no reason why your little helper can’t chop veggies (carrots and peppers are great starters!) under your supervision. Using the parmesan chicken recipe as an example, here’s a suggested list of tasks to try: 

• Paint the baking tray with oil 
• Bash the chicken with a rolling pin
• Dip & dress the chicken with egg & breadcrumbs
• Shred the cabbage
• Set the table
• Sprinkle chopped chives before serving

Enjoy a delicious family meal

Once dinner is served, make sure you take a moment to congratulate your mini chef for their efforts in producing a delicious family meal. But don’t forget, the most important task is yet to come… cleaning up! 

We’d love to hear which recipes you and your mini chefs opted for, so why not share your experience with us on Instagram @hellochefme? If you enjoyed this article, you may be interested in reading more about our cooking with kids experiences here, or cook along with our guest chefs, Aino and Ryan, for the ultimate family kitchen experience.