Tag Archives: ice cream

How Cooking with Kids Teaches Important Skills

Posted by melissa.t on July 13, 2012 None comments

Cooking with kids teaches important skills — plus it’s fun and yummy!

Let your kids see the recipe and gather the ingredients. This helps them know what combines to make something new.

Then, show them how to measure which is great fraction practice. Even harder, see if they can double the recipe amounts.

Mixing helps motor skills and strength.

Set the timer and bake. It’s a great way to figure out elapsed time — and practice patience.

At Imagine Toys, we have an easy Ice-Cream Maker that would be a great choice for cooking with your kids.

I keep several Curious Chef Kits stocked up for birthday gifts. (My girls just informed me that they want one, too!)

What will you cook today?

Easy, Fun Homemade Ice Cream

Posted by melissa.t on August 25, 2011 1 comments

Even though many kids are back to school already, it’s still summer. And still hot, hot, hot!

If you want to make a cool treat, try this 5-minute homemade ice cream recipe. I found it in my newest favorite book, 15 Minutes Outside: 365 ways to get out of the house and connect with your kids by Rebecca P. Cohen.

We let each child have their own bags. Here are the directions for each child.

1. Fill half of a large plastic bag with ice cubes and 6 Tablespoons rock salt.

2. In a small, heavy-duty plastic bag combine:

1 Tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

3. Close the small bag and place it inside the large bag.

4. Roll or shake for 5 minutes or until you have ice cream. (We found rolling was better.)

5. Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Helpful tip: Make sure your small plastic bags aren’t too thin – or use double. We found that the taste of salt didn’t go well with the ice cream flavor. Get a good, heavy-duty bag that won’t puncture easily.

YUMMMMMM . . .