Creative Kids in the Kitchen Blog

Creative Toddlers in the Kitchen

2009-12-28T07:02:00.000-08:00

10 times the fun

We are teaching my middle child how to count, he is only 2 years old, but he can count to 10. So when I am doing anything in the kitchen, I do it in 10's. 10 stirs, 10 scoops, 10 shakes. It keeps him interested in what I am doing and has opened up other vocabulary that I wouldn't have shared with him yet. Measuring, leveling, and folding. He loves to help mommy cook and even has his own utensils that are only to be used by him. He is so proud of them.

The Language of Food

My quadruplet boys are only 2 years old, but they already LOVE playing kitchen with our play food and grocery cart. There is so much language involved in food. Interactions are natural, yet involve new vocabulary, and interactions. The boys loving shopping" for food and pretending to go to the store. This provides an opportunity to work on greetings turn taking with the cart and action verbs. When the boys return from the store there's a variety of language to interact with categorizing the food naming counting similar items talking about where foods come from...the possibilities are endless! You can transition to table manners and cleaning up which both reinforce the food language you've already introduced as well as introducing new skills and vocabulary. Food is a natural fun and creative way to develop your child's learning. And it's enjoyable for any age level or gender!"

Please note: The above entries were not chosen as winners for the Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest.

Creative Cooking in the Kitchen

2009-12-23T05:46:00.000-08:00

Homemade Donuts are way better than the store bought ones!!

Being a single Mom was a challenge on many levels. These challenges changed as my son grew. When he entered the third grade, sleepovers became popular, as this was the age where boys began to test their independence. The morning after his first sleepover, all he talked about were the powdered donuts the child's mother had bought at the donut store. The first time the boys slept at our house was filled with some apprehension especially when the number of guests unexpectedly rose at the last moment. The next morning I couldn't drive to the "donut store" since there was not another adult to mind the kids in my absence. Nor could I put the kids in the car as there were more kids than seat belts. I decided to be creative and have the kids help me make donuts. Using canned biscuits I set up an assembly line of kids making the holes (using an apple corer) once I fried them three more boys had the job of shaking the fried donuts in brown paper bags filled with confectioners sugar cinnamon and sugar or plain sugar. They had a blast! The donut making became a tradition in our home for over 15 years. It doesn't take a lot of talent or money just a little creativity to make kids enjoy their experiences in the kitchen.

Cooking up fun!

As a child, I always wanted to have a play kitchen and diligently begged for one every Christmas. My father always replied, "We have a real kitchen if you want to cook." Well I did. And now I cook with my little boys. We start in the grocery store learning lessons that develop all of the senses. There is so much to be gained through the process. I've found that cooking together is a fun way to increase self-confidence improve their understanding of nutrition and help my children gain practical life skills. We adapt our cooking for every stage. My five month old already sits in the kitchen with us and it thrills his older brother that he can "help" the baby cook. Right now this means chewing on a measuring cup (cute!) but soon he will be washing fruits and veggies like his big brother and actually using that cup to measure. I value good nutrition and cooking with my boys allows me to demonstrate cooking and eating well. As much as I love to have them help in the BIG kitchen though the child in me still wants them to have a play kitchen of their own. It is fun to cook in the grown up version but there is nothing like being able to bake a shirt and fry peas with no dishes to do. That's why my boys are getting a play kitchen this Christmas...even though we have a real kitchen downstairs.

Please note: The above entries were not chosen as winners for the Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest.

Teamwork + Creative Ingredients = Fun in the Kitchen!

2009-12-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

Our Creative & Fun Kitchen

Monday, spaghetti. Tuesday, chicken. Wednesday, Mac & cheese. Thursday, pork chops. Friday, eggs. Saturday, casserole. Sunday, leftovers. And repeat. Not in my house. I may not be a master chef, and as a mom of 4 kids under the age of 8, I'm pretty busy. I pride myself on feeding my kids healthy meals and having fun while doing so. Here's how we do it. If we're making tuna casserole that night, I announce to the kids "We're going under the sea tonight for dinner!" We all run into our rooms and pull on our bathing suits. I'll play Hawaiian music and put The Little Mermaid on in the background. My oldest will mix up the tuna, my two middle children will lay out the noodles and my youngest will dance around the kitchen to the music. It's easy and fun for all of us! We do zany adventures for any night - during pasta nights, my kitchen is transformed into a tiny Italian restaurant where my oldest chops up the veggies, my youngest throws the noodles against the wall to see if they're done. Your time in the kitchen doesn't have to feel like an inescapable prison sentence. Instead, it's whatever you make it out to be. Dress your kids in costumes, play some music and give them each a duty to fulfill. Before you know it, you've got a delicious dinner and a team that works great together. Now eat up - it's dinner time!

The Bean Cake

"Mom-MAY!" I looked at her post nap groggy eyes and halfheartedly agreed. "Okay honey let's go." I whisked her two year old frame down the stairs and plopped her in her "cooking chair." It was here she had cooked thousands of meals right alongside me for a very hungry daddy. I always let her pour this or stir that monitoring her so what we created would still be edible. Today was different. Today I had promised she could make her daddy a birthday cake. And so I rummaged through the cupboards and scanned my brain to find proper ingredients: flour water oatmeal chocolate chips and dry black beans. The latter was mixed in without my knowledge as I was making beans and rice for supper. She mixed poured stirred and yes made a mess. But most importantly I heard exclamations of "Look!" and "There perfect!" along with her humming while she worked. When Daddy came home and saw what she had made he took a bite. While it probably didn't taste as delicious as a chocolate cake the cook was beaming with pride. As were her proud parents. Without giving her the space to create she would have never felt the autonomy of success. Her own success. A successful confident child is exactly the kind of child I want to brighten the future.

Please note: The above entries were not chosen as winners for the Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest.

More Ideas for Creativity in the Kitchen

2009-12-21T06:07:00.000-08:00

Lunchbox plus dessert

I find that my son is willing to eat anything on a stick. So I roll lunch meat up and stick a toothpick through it to make an airplane. The meat is used to make the wings and a slice of cucumber makes the body. For the propeller, we use thinly sliced carrots. I cut up cheese cubes, vegetables and fruits to make various kebobs. He likes building the kebobs too! He is more willing to try new foods and he enjoys trying to see what we can build with our toothpick. For dessert, he likes to make blue jello with gummy fish or for halloween, jello with gummy worms! We also take ice cream cones (sugar cones) and put batter in them to make cupcakes. Then we frost them, turn them on their sides to make a race car. For the wheels, we put a spot of frosting on the side and stick 4 round candies on. Frosting is a great way to teach a bit of science too. We make yellow frosting, red frosting and blue frosting. Then he mixes some together to see which new colors he can make. We also enjoy making Stone Soup based on the fable. We go to the store. I let him pick out the vegetables. He helps me cut them up and put them in the pot. Not only is he contributing to the meal, but it is also refining his fine motor skills. The kitchen is a wonderful playground!

Kids, Kitchens and Kiwis

Kids are naturally curious, and what better place to foster that curiosity and zest for learning than in the kitchen, the heart of the home. In our house, with four kids ten and under, we cook--a lot! Whenever the kids hear the mixer going or oven turn on, they run in asking What are you making? Can we help?" Although it can take longer (and be messier!) I think being involved in the process of creating food is vital in raising healthy daring eaters. The kids often suggest variations in the recipe and we have fun finding out if it was successful or not. Sprinkles in the pancakes works. Cloves in the meatballs does not! Seeing food in both its raw and prepared form gives kids a whole new appreciation for the things they eat. The fries start as whole potatoes; the yummy kiwi starts as a fuzzy brown ball; Pesto is created from the basil in the garden. We have fun planning meals by theme on occasion too. Whether it is a meal of all food from the sea all green food or all letter "M" food the kids come up with clever suggestions we parents would have never thought of! Creating and eating meals together not only reinforces valuable lessons like measurement fractions reading and taking turns but more importantly it creates happy memories together as a family we can cherish.

Please note: The above entries were not chosen as winners for the Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest.

Some of Step2's Favorite Contest Entries

2009-12-18T11:26:00.001-08:00

Although we could only select three winners, we were overwhelmed with fantastic entries detailing how families get creative in the kitchen with their children. We will be sharing some of these entries in hope to inspire creativity with your kids in the kitchen.

Fencing IS a Kitchen Sport

Kids and kitchens are a fabulous mixture. My son has been a regular ingredient of our kitchen activities since he was a baby in a bouncy seat. Certainly he became more helpful" once he could crawl. This is when he discovered refrigerator magnets opening cabinets exploring measuring cups mixing bowls colanders turkey basters and tasting as we cooked. Then when he could stand on his own he was ready for the step stool which opened up a cornucopia of opportunities to help. Selecting (& tasting) cookie ingredients inserting muffin liners pouring ingredients stirring washing produce or dishes at the sink unloading the dishwasher helping Daddy make & pack his lunch. It was around this time that we discovered a favorite kitchen activity for our son - fencing! We (my husband son & I) used strainers for our face masks and whisks for our sabres. We've had some intensely fun matches! Our kitchen is an enjoyable place whether we are cooking tasting cleaning eating or playing. Honestly we all prefer the latter in which LAUGHTER is the key ingredient!"

Themed Fun" Week in the Kitchen"

Every week I have a theme for my son that involves him helping me in the kitchen. Beginning of the month, I'll have a sheet of paper with what we would be celebrating. Each week has a theme: colors of vegetable, different types of food (eg. spanish, chinese, dessert, soups), food for all the major holidays. We would focus on what we are going over and we start with shopping. If it's yellow vegetable week he would pick out squash, potatoes and etc. I'll ask him to wash the vegetables and I'll chop them and incorporate them to our meal. Same goes for all the other themes. I also have a check list for him that asks what he liked/disliked about the food. Also asking him on the check list if he helped me and cleaned up after he ate. If he got many stars" from me by helping I get to by him toys of his choice. It's really important that little ones are exposed to different kinds of taste and palate. This also helps moms/dads who are working during the day to spend some time together with their children when they get home. This makes kids feel good about themselves by making choices in their lives that effects other people.

Please note: The above entries were not chosen as winners for the Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest.

And the Winners Are...

2009-12-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

We’re excited to announce the three winners of the “Step2 Creative Kids In the Kitchen Contest.” It was a tough decision, but of the more than 1,500 entries we thought these three best embodied creativity, encouragement of creative play and originality. The panel of judges consisted of Barbara Beery, the author of 11 best-selling kids’ cook books and founder of the Batter Up Kids Cooking School and toy experts from The Step2 Company. Please check out the winning entries below for some creative inspiration before the holidays and thank you to everyone who participated. See you next year for more creative fun in the kitchen!

All You Knead is Love – Grand Prize Winner

The kitchen has always been a special place for me. When I was a little girl, my grandmother encouraged me to make-up recipes, to experiment with the spices, and to have fun. The only ingredient that you really need, she said, was love. Although the food I created wasn’t always edible, it always came from my heart and I learned a great deal about cooking. Today I play in the kitchen with my four-year-old daughter and I encourage her to get creative. What do these cookies need? I’ll ask. And we’ll put in dried cherries or chopped-up apples or lavender flowers. I let her take risks and I let her make the decisions. I still choke up when I ask her. Okay, what’s missing? Love, she cries, and reaches for the bowl to pat it with love. For us, the creativity is not just the ingredients or the lack of measurements; it’s the way we have fun doing it together. We sing new words to the song about the muffin man or roll, roll, roll, your dough gently on the board and my one-year-old drums along with his wooden spoon and plastic bowl. I want my children to feel free in the kitchen, not just to copy me or the words in a recipe but to follow their own heart in the joy and creation of cooking.

Saving the Arts in the Kitchen – First Prize Winner

Schools are cutting back on Arts programs, in favor of more testing. Ugh! So, to keep creativity alive, I like to turn my kitchen into a sculpture and painting studio, using ingredients that are edible so the fun doesn't end until they're licking their fingers and it's all gone! Block cheese makes a wonderful carving material, and cuts easily with plastic knives. Sliced cheese can be cut with cookie cutters to make their own creative designs on tortillas, which can then be melted ever so slightly in the microwave for a tasty snack. Vegetables can be carved and assembled to resemble animals, and people. Funny faces with lettuce hair, can be arranged on plates. Chocolate sauce, mustard, jam, raspberry sauce, etc, make wonderful paint to adorn bread-ball sculptures. They can write their name or messages with mustard squeeze bottles into their bowl of grits, or the morning oatmeal. They may be cutting back on the Arts at school, but our house we're cutting up, having fun and keeping creativity alive in the kitchen!

I'm a mommy, a wife, bring home the bacon and fry it up too! – Second Prize Winner

Promoting creativity starts with a good example. I am proud that eating out is a special occasion and not the norm for my family. Dinnertime strengthens our familial bond on a daily basis, and its preparation is part of it. That warmth and love promotes confidence in expressing one’s creativity, especially in children. As Cuban-Americans, the kitchen allows me to share my culture with my daughters from recipes to stories and even language as they grow their bilingual lexicon. The kitchen is where my grandmother taught me about life as well as food, and I, in turn, will do the same for my girls. My husband loves to cook as well and serves as good example of what a complete man can be. He takes advantage of the kitchen as yet another way to interact with our daughters, offering his cooking style and life wisdom. And yes, we actually prepare food as well. We cook all types of cuisine not limited to just Cuban or American fare. Having a diverse palate is one way of exploring other cultures. The kitchen is also a unique playground where all the senses are stimulated in concert. Not many activities can claim that. The real fun is using imagination to combine foods in varying ways to produce different effects. Playing with measurements, adding novel ingredients or changing textures are all creative exercises that have no limit. Creativity becomes fun as well as educational and is spurred on by both.

More of Barbara’s Kid-friendly Tips for the Holiday's

2009-12-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

1. Starting-out with a gingerbread mix allows more time in the kitchen to explore different ingredients used in this recipe. In addition to using the ground cinnamon, purchase several cinnamon sticks and show your child how cinnamon looks before it is ground. Let them use a nutmeg grater or other child-friendly grater to grate part of a cinnamon stick. Use the other sticks in apple cider or hot chocolate.

2. Substituting a fruit juice for water in a cake/ cupcake recipe adds natural sugar and taste as well as nutritional value.

3. There are many options today for all sorts of naturally colored sprinkles, candy decors and natural food dyes. These may be used in place of artificially dyed products in any recipe.

Barbara Beery & Step2 on Baby Center

2009-12-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

Check out these cute stories on BabyCenter.com

Family Visits with Older Relatives?

2009-12-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Make Pretend Cooking an Easy Way to Bond

By: Lisa Huisman Koops

Family visits to a loved one in an assisted living facility or nursing home are important to young and old alike, but can be challenging with toddlers who pull pictures off end tables, swing from the handles of walkers, and shout joyfully throughout the visit. It may be hard for an elderly relative to know how to interact with an active toddler and vice versa. One possibility is to bring a few toys along and engage in inter-generational pretend play. For instance, bring along a toy kitchen set (pot, spoon, food items) and encourage great-grandparents and toddlers to make “soup” together, taking turns thinking of ingredients and putting them in the pot, or “baking” them on the radiator! Play peek-a-boo with a stuffed animal behind Great-Grandma’s wheel-chair. Invite Great-Grandpa to read a simple, familiar book, leaving out some words for your child to fill in. Encourage your toddler to ride along, waving like a queen, on Great-Grandma’s lap as she is pushed down to the dining hall for lunch. Weaving play into family visits brings a smile to everyone’s face and creates priceless memories.

Last Chance to Enter to Win Dream Kitchens!

2009-12-03T07:08:00.001-08:00

The Creative Kids in the Kitchen contest ends at midnight tomorrow night. It’s easy to enter, just click here for all the information.

Winners will be announced by the end of the year so stay tuned!

Reminder! Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest ends December 4th!

2009-11-30T11:09:00.000-08:00

Make sure to get your entries in – share you ideas for how you like to cook with your kids and you can win a new Frigidaire kitchen for you and a new Step2 kitchen for your child.

We’re excited to read how all of the entries – good luck!

Tips from Barbara Beery

2009-11-23T06:10:00.000-08:00

How to Have the Little Cooks in the Kitchen in Time for Turkey Day

• If you want to get your kids hands on in the meal you are making, the first thing to do is get organized. Get the kids to help clean up the work area, get out all the pots, bowls, and utensils you’ll need to make the recipe and even measure out things that you’ll need. 1 cup of flour? Here it is and set it aside. That way to can stay focused on the task at hand and you’re teaching your kids how to get started off on the right foot.

• Another way to get kids excited is by dividing up the tasks involved in making a recipe. As much as you can, get everyone involved. Have the little ones set the table, or help stir contents in a bowl. Have some kid safe knives or spoons around so it’s easier for little hands. You don’t have to have these things but they make things easier and more fun.

• Or you can even have them play with some pretend food like these items that come with one of the play kitchens – they’ll make kids feel like they are helping right along.

• And be patient; remember it’s the journey not the destination. Dumplings are a great Thanksgiving treat that are a really easy and fun food for kids to make too—they are magic-like in the way they cook in the chicken stock as they turn from mush into a fluffy delicious bite of heaven!!

Happy Thanksgiving Y’all!

Which Dream Kitchen Will You Be Giving This Holiday Season?

2009-11-20T18:07:00.000-08:00

Even “Rachael Ray” is giving a Step2 kitchen away in time for the holidays. Which kitchen do you plan on getting for your children, grand children or little loved ones? Use our kitchen selector to help you decide.

Barbara Beery Shares Tips and Tricks with Viewers Nationwide

2009-11-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

With a degree in elementary education, a passion for cooking, and three children of her own, Barbara Beery was the perfect person to talk about Step2 kitchens and the “Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest.” Barbara conducted 10 interviews on behalf of Step2. Check her out on KQCA-TV in Sacramento, Calif.

Looking for a holiday gift that will encourage Creative Play?

2009-11-17T05:37:00.000-08:00

By: Kelly Christian

While working with families to help them improve their play skills, I’ve come across many parents who want to know what toys they ought to have available at home for their children. The easy answer is anything you would want to play with and think was fun. But there are some things to consider in helping get the most out of a toy and playtime at home. Here are some ideas to have in mind while debating your holiday purchases this year:

· Is the toy age appropriate and will the toy be appealing to your child for many years or will they soon grow out of it? For example, toys like blocks, dolls, and cars are toys children continue to enjoy as they get older. It’s a great investment to find toys that will not lose their allure too quickly!

· Consider what your child already has. Do they have a lot of cars, dolls, or action figures, but do not have blocks to build with, puzzles to solve, or arts and craft materials to be creative?

· Is this a toy your child is meant to passively play with? For instance, does your child have to use their imagination to make sounds for a toy car or are they supposed to push buttons to hear the sound?

· Is this a toy the whole family can play with together?

· Is it a toy that will promote your child’s imagination and problem solving skills?

· Lastly, consider if it’s a toy that can be used in many ways and assess the quality of the toy. Is its appeal mainly that it’s covered in your child’s beloved TV character or that it’s actually a fun and interesting toy?

Try checking out step2.com for inspiration.

Step2 Contests and Giveaways Buzz in the Blogosphere

2009-11-09T07:44:00.000-08:00

In the cyberworld, these moms are connected! The following bloggers are helping to spread the word of Step2® kitchen giveaways.
• Oh My Giveaway – Blog directs readers to another site where readers can enter a contest to win a Step2 kitchen.
• Be Happy for This Moment – Mentions the Step2 kitchen contest being conducted on Coffee with the Ms.
• Contest & Giveaways from Around the Web – Directs readers to the No Time Mommy blog to win a Step2 play kitchen.
• SweepStakes Mama - Mentions how great Step2 kitchens are for promoting creative play and directs reader’s to another blog to enter a contest for a chance to win a Step2 kitchen.

Are you Ready to Shop?

2009-11-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

It’s time to kick off the holiday shopping season. Get ready to start shopping for that big ticket item. With a variety of price points, décor styles and play pattern needs, choosing a Step2® play kitchen can be a hard decision, but thankfully we’re here to help. Be sure to check out our kitchen selector.

Here are some tips for how to look for the best play kitchen for your kids:

· Determine how many children will be playing with this Kitchen at the same time. For multiple children the LifeStyle™ Deluxe Kitchen is always a great option.

· What is your living space like – Country home or city dweller? This will determine which kitchen is best for you. We recommend the LifeStyle™ Gourmet Cafe Kitchen for open spaces and the Fresh Market Kitchen for closer quarters.

What's your home’s style: traditional, modern, themed? We have something for everyone.

Fun and Easy Drink for Kids

2009-11-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

The winter isn’t yet here so let’s make the most of the fall season with play fruits. Your kids will love them. Step2® makes all sorts of creative play fruits and cooking accessories for your little ones. We love this 101 piece play food assortment from Step2.

You can even make real fruit drinks like my recipe for Perfect Pink Grape Lemonade while they make the play versions.

Perfect Pink Grape Lemonade
Makes about 2 quarts
Lemons and grapes (Child uses play fruits)
Ingredients
5-7 lemons, juiced to make 1 cup
6 cups water
1 cup superfine sugar
1 bottle 100 % Concord grape juice
2 cups grapes , red or green, frozen

Let’s Start Mixing!
1. In a medium saucepan, combine 6 cups water and 1 cup superfine sugar. Heat over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir-in lemon juice.
2. Add 2 cups of frozen grapes to a pitcher and slowly pour in lemonade. Stir-in 2-4 tablespoons of grape juice until you get the perfect pink lemonade shade!

Kid-friendly Kitchen Tips
Superfine sugar is a finer grain sugar that dissolves faster than regular granulated sugar and is sold in almost all super markets. If you don’t have superfine sugar, you can easily make it by placing in a blender for a few seconds.

Freeze grapes to chill drinks instead of ice. Place individual grapes on a cookie sheet and freeze for several hours or overnight. You can also freeze other fruits such as berries or simply keep a stash of frozen fruits to have ready anytime!

For more tasty recipes please visit Barbara Beery’s recipe page on the Creative Kids in the Kitchen site.

Fun Recipes for a Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T05:38:00.000-07:00

Here’s a great way to use some of those mini candy bars – with both the real kitchen and your child’s play kitchen!

Chocolate Waffles

Makes 2

Waffles(child uses play food)

Bananas (child uses play fruit)

Chocolate bar (child uses play candy)

Ingredients

2 waffles toasted, whole grain

1 chocolate candy bar, broken in half

Sprinkles, optional

Let’s Make Dessert!

1. Place ½ of candy bar on top of each hot toasted waffle. Cover with foil for 1 minute.

2. Remove foil and spread melted chocolate bar on each waffle with a small spatula. Top with sliced bananas and optional sprinkles.

Kid-friendly Kitchen Tip

Double the recipe and try stacking 3-4 waffles with melted chocolate bars and bananas in between each layer. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Slice into pie shapes and serve. Great for a toddler’s birthday cake!

For more tasty dinner recipes to make before this yummy dessert please visit Barbara Beery's recipe page on the Creative Kids in the Kitchen website.

Brown rice veggie pizza

Little Helper’s™ Cheese Manicotti

Ravioli Stir Fry

ABC News Talks About Getting Kids in the Kitchen

2009-10-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

Want some more tips for how to get your kids helping in the kitchen? Check out Barbara Beery’s recent interview with the Associated Press, where she talks about how to encourage age-appropriate help and excitement in the kitchen.

Get more tips for engaging children in the kitchen.

Keep the Contest Entries Coming!

2009-10-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

Step2® encourages contest entrants to put their best foot forward…we are reading the entries and checking them twice. As a reminder, we want your most creative stories. You know - be sure to tell us all about your picky eaters, kitchen traditions, fun times and food fights. We want to hear it all. Bonus – the better your story, the more likely you are to win a play kitchen from Step2® for the kids and a real kitchen from Frigidaire® for you.

Enter now to win!

Step2 Kitchens Win Oppenheim Awards!

2009-10-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Recognizing innovation, creative play and safety, The Step2 Company® has received an unprecedented number of awards from The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, the toy industry’s leading independent consumer reviewer of children’s toys and media. The prestigious Oppenheim Awards recently awarded The Step2 Company, the nation’s largest preschool and toddler toy maker, with Platinum and Gold Awards for 14 new Step2® and Infantino® products. Here are a few highlights from our play kitchens line. The lucky contest winners can rest assured that their play kitchen will be tested for mom and kids’ approvals.

· Gourmet Café Kitchen: This cool café kitchen allows kids to cook with their friends in a realistic all-in-one environment featuring a warm and cozy country styling with the conveniences of modern living.

· Café Barista: Today’s tea set just got an update fresh from mom’s favorite coffee shop with everything you need to brew a great coffee and cappuccino while serving delicious treats.

· Pastry Chef: Little chef testers loved the pretend desserts and tools for creating precious pretend sweet treats.

Ravioli Stir Fry

2009-10-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

Here’s a great recipe from Barbara Beery – gives kids lots to do and also gets them to eat their veggies!

Ravioli Stir Fry
Makes enough to serve 4
Uses play veggies- Red bell pepper, broccoli, and asparagus
Uses play food - Ravioli
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 bunch asparagus, bottoms trimmed
1 package fresh ravioli, cheese-filled
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup vegetable broth
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Let’s Start Cooking!
1. In a large sauté pan, add olive oil and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add veggies and sauté/ stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add ravioli, season with salt and pepper and pour in vegetable broth.
2. Cook covered for 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Kid-friendly Kitchen Tip
1. Use assorted flavors and fillings of ravioli and let the kids choose their favorite seasonal veggies.
2. Add fresh garlic and Italian red sauce to change–up the flavor.

Click here for nutritional information

Learn and Play

2009-10-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

The following post was previously included on our sister blog, Creative Play Plus, which was created in partnership with the Shubert Center for Child Studies. We think a trip to the grocery store is a great way to encourage creative participation and get kids excited about cooking and eating healthy!

Learning Opportunities Easily Achieved in Play with your Toddler

By: Elizabeth Short (Hyperlink name to bio on Creative Play Plus:( http://www.cwru.edu/artsci/pscl/faculty/short/ejs.html)

Loads of learning opportunities can be achieved through sociodramatic play and building scripts for daily activities.

Before going to the grocery store, talk about your routine. This is a wonderful chance to teach the value of lists.

· Why do we make a list?

· Discuss how easy it is to forget things, even for the all knowing parent.

· Encourage your child’s active participation, by soliciting suggestions about favorite foods to include on the list.

· Point out how organized the grocery store is and how this structures helps us to efficiently complete our shopping.

Teach the importance of checking off items on the list, to insure all items have been obtained.

· If your child becomes impatient during the trip to the store, you can give them a special task and redirect their attention to your list.

· You could ask them to help you cross off items on a grocery list by naming items already in the cart. This helps them practice their developing language skills and also gather a sense of what is left on the grocery trip list.

· Non-readers can be asked to decorate the list with pictures corresponding to items on the list. This provides a nice opportunity to advance literacy.

Healthy vs. Paranoid

2009-10-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Recent commentary in New York Times talks honestly about the difficulty of raising healthy eaters without making them paranoid or overly analytical at the same time. Some good food for thought…pun intended!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/weekinreview/30bruni.html?_r=1

Eat Kid-Friendly Food, But Keep it Healthy

2009-10-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

As you probably already know, there are studies that demonstrate the health benefits of whole grain consumption and the critical importance to your child’s health, including a reduction in cholesterol, a decrease in the risk for type 2 diabetes and a regulation of body weight. Creative play with Step2 toys along with a healthy diet will have your kids active for years and years to come.

The battle of wills often comes from kids wanting the “fun” foods like pizza and cookies – but parents not knowing how to make those favorites into healthy options. Here is a recipe from Barbara Beery that does just that, plus gets those little hands helping too:

Brown Rice Veggie Pizza

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup Instant Brown Rice

1 red, green, yellow or orange bell pepper chopped

½ cup onions chopped

1 cup carrot shredded

½ tsp. oregano

1 cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 cup celery diced

½ cup part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded (topping)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

6 green olives sliced

2 egg whites beaten

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

1/3 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese shredded

1 cup prepared pizza or tomato sauce low sodium

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

Let’s Get Baking!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pizza Crust:
Cook Instant Brown Rice according to package directions.
In a mixing bowl, combine 3 cups cooked rice with mozzarella cheese and egg whites. Divide mixture evenly between four 4-6 inch pie pans that have been liberally sprayed with cooking spray.
Press mixture down into pie pans to form a crust with your fingers or a small spatula.
Place filled pie pans on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Sauce & Assorted Toppings:
In a small mixing bowl combine pizza sauce, black pepper, salt, garlic powder and oregano. Spoon the sauce equally over each partially baked rice crust.
Top with assorted toppings and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Place pizzas back into the oven and bake 5-8 minutes longer. Remove from oven, cool for 2-3 minutes. Remove pizzas from pans with an offset metal spatula or small rubber spatula and serve immediately.

Kid-friendly Kitchen Tips

Take the kids to the grocery store and let them pick-out the veggies they want to use on their individual pizzas. Let the older kids chop or slice the bell peppers, onions and celery with a small paring knife. Have the younger kids break- apart the mushrooms and olives into various sized pieces with their fingers. Everyone can take turns shredding the carrots! Add pepperoni or soy pepperoni slices if desired.

Nutritional Information

Fresh Fruit Snacks

2009-09-28T05:51:00.000-07:00

Fresh Fruit Sticks

Already have a Step2 Play Kitchen or some of the kitchen accessories? Here’s a healthy snack for afterschool fun – adults and older kids can make this with real fruit and smaller children can use the play fruit to follow along.

Fresh Fruit Sticks

Makes 4-6 6 inch k-bobs

Uses play fruits - apples, pineapple, oranges and pears

Ingredients

1 Red Delicious apple, cut into chunks

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks

2 oranges, seeded and quartered

2 firm pears, seeded and quartered

8-12 large marshmallows

Let’s make fruit sticks!

1. Using 6 inch wooden skewers, place fruits in alternate patterns with marshmallows on each skewer.

Kid-friendly Kitchen Tip

1. Make a super breakfast on-the-go by adding mini muffins on each k-bob in place of marshmallows. Add chunks of angel food or pound cake and decorate with sprinkles to turn k-bobs into a festive party dessert!

Click here for nutritional information

Back to School, Back to Cooking

2009-09-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

With kids back in school, we know the lazy days of summer are over. Weeknight dinners need to be fast, but they also need to taste great while bringing the family together. We want to teach kids healthy eating habits at a young age. A great way to get them into the kitchen and involve them in the process of choosing what to fix for snacks, meals and treats is to take them to the grocery store when possible, get them to local farmers markets, and involve them at an early age. Kids love the kitchen; it is the parents most often who are scared to cook!

Parents should try to use fresh fruits, fresh veggies presented in a fun, clever way. Use what is in season and whole wheat tortillas and pastas. Nothing we all haven’t read or know already, but parents are great at leading by example and if you take a few minutes to find a clever recipes and involve the kids in the cooking process, it will go a long way. This is where change begins and ends. Here are some suggestions to get kids eating healthy after school:

· Cheese dip can be laced with bits of broccoli – just put out some whole grain crackers or some cut up veggies and it’s a great snack

· Get cooked veggies (which kids least like) mixed into rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.

· Serve small portions to try new things and do not demand they finish...simply "try" a new taste.

Some Tips from Guest Blogger, Barbara Beery

2009-09-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hi y’all! I’m Barbara Beery and I run a cooking school in Austin, Texas called the Batter Up Kids Culinary Center – I wanted to inspire young children everywhere to learn to love cooking but also learn how to cook easy, healthy meals for themselves. I’ve also written a few cook books, most recently the Green Princess Cookbook, designed to inspire children how to cook using homegrown foods, organic produce, and other earth-friendly materials.

I’m particularly excited about partnering with Step2 this holiday season to get parents and kids in the kitchen cooking together. Make sure you check out my Step2 Little Helper’s Cheese Manicotti recipe. And check out these extra cooking tips to make it even more interactive.

Barbara’s Kid-friendly Cooking Tips, Tricks and Tools
1. Encourage young chefs to get actively involved in almost every step of this recipe with the help of some kid-friendly kitchen tools. Lettuce knives are the perfect tool for young chefs because they easily cut through veggies with no possible way of cutting their little fingers. We call these “safety knives” and have had kids successfully (and safely) use them for years in our cooking classes.

2. Equally as safe for chopping is a manual food chopper with veggies chopped inside a totally enclosed container.

3. Kids love string cheese and they love pasta. Encouraging a child to “stuff” a piece of string cheese into a cooked pasta shell is simply irresistible. It’s also a great way to help improve a toddler’s hand–to eye coordination. You may want to buy a little extra string cheese to allow for some healthy snaking while kids are preparing this savory dish!

4. Try to use a whole wheat manicotti if that option is available in your market. You get the added bonus of great nutty- flavored pasta with more nutritional value.

5. Include a large leafy salad for a complete healthy meal, the whole family will enjoy.

Welcome!

2009-09-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Step2 is proud to announce the first ever “Step2 Ultimate Play Kitchen Guide” and the “Creative Kids in the Kitchen” contest. Enter today for your chance to win a dream kitchen from Frigidaire and the perfect play kitchen for your child.

Want to know which Step2 play kitchen is right for your home and family? Visit the Kitchen Selector to help get you started.

Do you like to cook with your kids? Barbara Beery, a cooking instructor who runs her own cooking school for kids has offered some exclusive recipes. We hope this site inspires you to get cooking with your kids and get creative in the kitchen. Please feel free to share your stories, photos and ideas about how you cook – just send them to CreativeKidsintheKitchen@Step2.net