Inside: We found the easiest way to make Valentine brownies with our toddlers! Not only did they help make these yummy treats, but they also served them to their families at our Valentine’s class party. These would also be fun for a Mother’s Day tea!
I love to cook with our toddlers, but this year I made it a regular part of our curriculum.
I regret that I have taken so long to so do, because I see all the benefits of including them in cooking activities. And now, halfway through the school year, they know how to sit at our big table, waiting for their turn to scoop, stir, and pour ingredients.
They’ve also learned about being safe around the hot oven and anything that has been in the oven.
When we were planning our Valentine’s celebration, complete with a little sing-a-long that included our families, we decided to make our own treats to serve to them. In the past we had purchased store-bought heart cookies or muffins.
This year was different, and it made our celebration that much more meaningful.
How to Make Easy Valentine Brownies with Toddlers
What we used:
- Reusable Heart-Shaped Silicone Baking Cups
- Brownie Mix
- Powdered Sugar
Setting up this Valentine brownies cooking activity:
Place the silicone hearts on a cookie sheet. (We placed parchment paper underneath to catch any spills and for easier clean up.)
I used no-stick spray for each cup, after realizing the brownies will stick to the silicone otherwise.
Then:
- Pour some of the brownie mix into individual cups, so that each child gets one.
- Place the rest of the ingredients in a big bowl and have a spoon ready for mixing.
- Pass the bowl around the table as the children pour their container of mix into it.
- Once again, passed the bowl around, this time inviting each child to stir around the bowl 3 times (we counted out loud.)
I gave it a few more stirs to make sure everything was mixed thoroughly, and then poured the mixture into a measuring cup.
Each child got a turn helping me pour the mix into the silicone hearts.
Once we filled them all, it was time to put them in the pre-heated oven.
Our preschool resides in a church building that has an oven in its workroom.
We all took a friend’s hand to walk from our classroom to the kitchen to place the brownies in the oven.
By now our children know not to get close to the oven. We always talk about kitchen safety during our cooking activities, especially about hot ovens.
The brownies took about 30 minutes to bake while we played in the gym.
Once we took them out of the oven and let them cool a bit, they popped out of the silicone molds quite easily.
We then used a sieve and invited the children to sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Some were given a more generous coating, depending on the child who shook the powder on it!
During the last 15 minutes of class, as I mentioned in this post, our parents joined us. We had grandparents and great-grandparents there, too! The children were so excited to share their Valentine brownies, proud of their hard work.
Check out our Valentine’s pin board for more ideas!
More cooking with kids ideas:
