Fun Recipe Ideas to Get Kids in the Kitchen

Savannah LucaxWed Jul 07 2021

School holidays can be a little daunting for parents, as your children suddenly have a heck of a lot of free time that they need to fill! With the weather getting colder, children are less likely to spend their time playing outdoors and more likely to stay inside on their iPad or on their phone. To avoid them becoming technology zombies, try getting them in the kitchen instead! We have curated some fun and easy recipe ideas that your children can whip up these school holidays.

Pasta Chips

These pasta chips have gone viral on TikTok and we can see why! This recipe is super creative and makes a great alternative to overly processed potato chips. Play around with the seasoning to suit your tastes. We would recommend making this in the Instant Pot Vortex 5.7L Airfryer, but any good quality air fryer should do the trick. Top tip: if you don’t have an air fryer, try baking these in the oven instead.

Ingredients

Pasta (choose either bowties, penne or rigatoni)

Grated Parmesan

Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Method

1. Cook pasta as you normally would and drain the water. Aim to cook pasta ‘al dente’, as it will cook a little more in the air fryer.

2. Toss the pasta with a bit of oil and a generous amount parmesan cheese, garlic powder and onion powder. Feel free to add any alternative spices you enjoy.

3. Preheat the air fryer to 200C.

4. Once up to temperature, add your pasta to the air fryer. Make sure the pasta is in a single layer- you may need to cook it in batches.

5. Shake the air fryer basket a couple of times midway through the cooking process.

6. Once golden and crunchy (approximately 7-10 minutes) remove from the air fryer and enjoy!

Pancake Cereal

If your child watches TikTok, chances are they have seen this recipe doing the rounds. This one is super easy, especially if you buy the pancake mix already made. All you’ll really need is a squeeze bottle, non-stick pan, oil, spatula and your choice of condiments – easy! This is a fun activity to keep the kids entertained in the morning and can be a fun idea for the morning after a sleepover.

Ingredients

Bought pancake mix

Oil for the pan

Your choice of toppings – milk, maple syrup, ice cream, yogurt and/or fruit.

Method

1. Add milk to pre-made pancake mix and shake to mix.

2. Transfer pancake mix into a squeezable bottle.

3. Heat up a non-stick pan with oil on medium/high heat.

4. Turn heat down a bit and begin squeezing mixture into mini pancake rounds.

5. Flip when they begin to bubble on the top and the underside is golden.

6. Transfer into a bowl and serve with milk and your choice of fruit, maple syrup, yogurt or ice cream.

Berry Smoothie

If you struggle to get your kids to eat fruit, a smoothie is a great way to cram in a bunch at once! This smoothie is sure to be a hit with even the pickiest of eaters and is super fun to make on their own or with friends. Switch up the ice cream flavours and fruit combinations to fit whatever you have in your pantry and fruit bowl. This is all part of the fun - allowing kids to experiment with different flavours to make something unique. In order to achieve a deliciously smooth consistency, make sure you have a good quality blender on hand. We recommend a blender from Vitamix, which is rated as one of the best blenders among many.