My mother loves to bake and cook. She bakes a birthday treat for every single person at her work and is always finding some new recipe to try with all of us. I have fond memories of baking cookies with her in our kitchen, and now it is also one of my daughter’s favorite things to do. Baking with kids provides so many opportunities for learning and creating memories. Today’s book acknowledges all of the love and special memories that many people associate with baking with their grandparent, and it has quickly become one of my daughter’s favorite books!

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Grandma’s Kitchen was written by Madison Lodi and illustrated by Francesca De Luca. This sweet padded board book follows a little rabbit as he bakes along with his grandmother. The rhyming text is accompanied by bright and colorful illustrations, including a happy border of yummy treats. As the pair go about making their cookies, the little rabbit learns some important lessons about baking, including laughing at your mistakes and working together to get through the tough parts. (One of my daughter’s favorite parts is when the characters make a big floury mess, just like she has done with her Grandma!).

The story radiates love and warmth as the grandmother and the little bunny create special memories, share their baked goods with loved ones and express their love for one another. This book would make an especially nice gift, and would be a great read aloud for grandmother and grandchild to share together!.

Creating Memories Together

Starting a Tradition – Whip out your cookbook and find a special recipe to create together! Share your special memories of baking as a kid, and give them some of the history behind your favorite dishes. My mother created a cookbook for my sister and I that includes all of our family recipes, including her little tips and tricks. She also asked family members and close friends for their favorite recipes to include. Since she created it in a 3 ring binder, we are able to add to it whenever we find a new recipe. It is one of my favorite gifts, and I hope to do the same for my daughter someday as well.

If you don’t have any family recipes to pass down, do some research together and find a new recipe to make. Go to the library and check out cookbooks or search online. Find a recipe that reminds you of your ancestry, or maybe reminds you of your favorite book. Your kids will now have a new recipe and tradition to share with their kids someday.

Bake Together – There are so many wonderful lessons that kids can learn by baking with you. From following a recipe, to measuring ingredients, to setting a timer, there are many important skills you can teach them. I like when my daughter takes charge and helps with new steps in the recipe. Currently, she likes to stir and add ingredients to the bowl. She loves baking with her grandmother, creating new delicious treats and building memories.

Grandma’s Helping Hands Gift – This is a gift that my daughter and I made for my mom, and she loves having it on display in the kitchen. Start with a blank potholder and oven mitt. Use paint to cover your child’s hands and place them onto the fabric. I used a permanent marker to outline my daughter’s hand prints and wrote out “Grandma’s Helping Hands” on each one. These would be a great project for Mother’s Day!

Related Reading: 18 Books for Mother’s Day

Learning in the Kitchen!

Sprinkles Letters – The characters in the book have lots of fun playing with sprinkles while they decorate their cookies. This is a great opportunity to have some fun with sprinkles and practice writing letters! Pour some sprinkles into a shallow tray so they cover the bottom in a single layer. Give kids a clean paintbrush or have them use their fingers to draw letters in the sprinkles.

Cookie Flipping Activity – This game gives kids an opportunity to practice their memory skills, while also having some spatula flipping fun! Create a set of memory cards based on your child’s current skill level.

1. Cut out small circle cards and decorate the backs with chocolate chips to look like cookies.
2. On the blank side of the cookie, write out matching pairs. You could pair math problems with solutions, capital letters with lower case letters, numerals with number words, or color words and colors.
3. Set up your memory game by spreading out the cards face side down.
4. Take turns using a spatula to flip over the cards two at a time. When you find a match, collect your pair. The most pairs wins!

Play in the Kitchen!

Kitchen Sensory Play  – Give kids a chance to play with some of the safer kitchen tools and utensils. Let young kids use pots and pans as drums. Give them measuring cups, spatulas, whisks and bowls and see what they come up with. My daughter loves to help me empty the dishwasher. Her favorite things to play with are the colander and a spatula. She sits on the ground and uses the spatula as an oar while she pretends to row a boat around the kitchen. You could also fill a small sensory table with flour or rice and let kids use the measuring cups and tools to measure, pour and stir. Becoming familiar with the utensils in the kitchen will help them feel more comfortable with cooking and baking.

This book is a great opportunity to get kids in the kitchen. It shows them how baking together is a great way to create memories and share love. Does your family enjoy working in the kitchen together?

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