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As a parent of two
children I have heard many times "Can I help you cook?"
Kids love designing and eating
their own creations. Whether they are boys or girls they will love the
idea of being chefs for the day. So what could be more appealing
than a party that offers both. It is a great idea for a birthday
party or just a get-together. Listed below you will find
everything you need to throw a great kid's cooking party.
Invitations
Handmade invitations
really set the mood for the party. Consider one of the following
options:
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You can print
blank recipe cards from the internet.
-
Shape your
invitation, using card stock paper, like a rolling pin.
-
Draw an apron on
card stock.
- Attach the recipe card
invitation to a large wooden spoon and tie with a ribbon or bow.
- Make a template of a
chef's hat and cut out the invitations using strong white craft
paper.
Add the party
information and mail to friends. Don't forget to add chef's name,
party date, time, place and phone number. Depending on the age of
the children when parents RSVP you may want to check to see if they will
be staying for the party and if the child has any food allergies.
Suggestion for
wording on invitation:
Recipe for a Birthday Bash at
"Stephanie's Kitchen" on "DATE"
Ingredients :
Mix friends and 2 cups of
fun together. Slowly add 1 cup of laughter and a pinch of
imagination. Blend until laughter bubbles to the top. Bake
at (address). Serve from 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Please join us for a cooking
extravaganza at Stephanie (Last Name's) Cooking Academy. All creations
made will be served to junior chefs. Attire: clothes that
you
don't mind getting a bit messy. Call Master Chef (Parent's
Name)
at (phone number) by DATE to make your reservation.
Food
Keep the menu very
easy and kid friendly. Include a main dish
and a dessert but definitely no more than 3 dishes.
Let the kids do all
of the preparation. Prepare a recipe card for each child, with the
recipe they are making so they can refer to it
while cooking. Have an adult handle cooking in the oven or
on the stove top, with all the party excitement you
want to be extra cautious.
Pizza or pasta are
you best bet. You can use individual small aluminum loaf pans for
the pasta or pie pans for the pizza. Put all ingredients, make
sure it is precooked when possible, out on the table and have the kids
do the assembly work. Be sure to label the pan with the chef's
name using a permanent maker.
Dessert can be as
simple as decorating a pre-cooked cookie, mini cake or cupcake and an
ice cream sundae. For ice cream sundaes set out bowls of a variety
of sprinkles, and candy. Include toppings like caramel, chocolate
and whipped cream. It is best to use vanilla ice cream.
Salad or fruit on a
stick will also be a big hit.
-
Salad on a stick -
Set out bowls of precut carrot coins, red and green peppers, cucumbers,
olives and cherry tomatoes. Give everyone a skewer and let them build
their own salad. Serve with an individual dipping bowl of ranch
dressing.
-
Fruit on a stick -
Set out bowls of grapes, pineapple chunks, watermelon balls, and
strawberries. Give everyone a skewer and let them build
their own fruit salad.
Helpers
Consider having teenage
siblings, neighbors, friends or grandparents give you a helping hand. The
kids will
love the personal attention and it will be a big help for you.
Activities for Arrival
and Cooking Time
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How to Make a Chefs Hat
Materials
White poster board
White tissue paper
Tape
Paper Clips
Time needed: Under one hour
1.
Start with a band of white poster board 26 inches long and 3 1/2
inches high, and 3 sheets of 20- by 30-inch white tissue paper.
Fold each sheet in half the long way.
2. Gather and tape one of the short
sides of each sheet along the hat band, overlapping the sheets
slightly.
3. Curl the band tape side out, place
it around a child's head, and paper clip the ends. Gather the
tissue at the top, taping it tightly together. Cut off the
extra tissue, remove the paper clips, and turn right-side out.
Reattach the paper clips, puff up the tissue, and start cooking!
Compliments of
familyfun.com |
Play Some
Cooking Games.
Taste Testers - In advance
place a selection of sauces and spices, for example ketchup, sugar,
ranch dressing, chocolate syrup, in little cups on a table. Take
the kids one at a time, blindfold them and give them, one cup at a time,
the ingredients to taste. The kids have to guess what it is
and then write it on a piece of paper. Give a prize to the person/people
who guess the most. IMPORTANT - Make sure no one has food allergies!!!!
Donut Bite
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Wrap an old mop handle
up in red and white crepe paper with matching ribbon. Purchase
enough donuts for each child.
Loop
ribbon through the donut hole. Tie the other end of the
ribbon to the decorated mop handle. Hold mop so that
children have to kneel to reach the donut. The object is
to see who can grab the donut with their teeth -- without hands!
For older kids you may want to
cover their eyes with a bandana. Hang a new donut for each
player. If you want you can time each player to see how long it
takes. Shortest time wins.
Blindfold the cook - Give a chef a large spoon
and a bowl of mini marshmallows. Cover their eyes with a
blindfold. Set a timer for 1 minute. In this time the chef has to
use the spoon and scoop the marshmallows into a second bowl. When the
bell rings measure how much they moved ( you can use a measuring cup to
do this) and the next player takes a turn. Winner gets a
prize
Decorations
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Purchase a red gingham table cloth,
red and white balloons and streamers. Use this to decorate your
room.
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Hang a few
aprons, chef's hats, wooden spoons etc...
- Use a large chalk board to display
the menu. Be sure to put in big letters "Today's Menu" at the top.
- Make a big sign saying "Welcome to
"Name" Chef's School" and place above your front door or gate.
- Have a red and white helium
balloons tied to each party guest's chair.
- Use multiple tables if possible to
give the feel of a restaurant.
- Purchase red plates and cups and
white utensils.
- Use mixing bowls as serving
utensils.
- Make sure that you have a big
enough table or work area for the kids to use. Consider using another
room for the preparation of the food or even using an outdoor space.
Goodie Bag
Make this simple because they will
also go home with an apron, balloons and chef's hat. Take a large clear
plastic cup and fill it with treats. Cover with Saran Wrap and tie
with a ribbon.
Happy Cooking |
