Recipes that a 4 year old can help make

amother

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 10:39 am

After many years of going to our parents for Yomim Tovim, we started to stay home a few years ago and without even intending it, we developed a family tradition of choosing 1 recipe for each kids to help me make for Yom Tov. They are so proud of their recipe. What is a good recipe that my 4 year old can help with? I prefer nothing involving flour because she can get wild and I can lose it when flour and batter go flying across the kitchen.

Elfrida

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 10:50 am

How about egg salad? They can peel the eggs, and mash it up when you add the mayonnaise, then help mix in any other ingredients.

Just check that the eggs are fully peeled, or ot might end up a bit crunchy!

HappyMom5

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 10:52 am

Farfel!

My son helps me all the time and is so proud when it gets served.

I put oil in the pot. He adds the bag of farfel and the spices that I measure for him. He mixes it very well. Then I put it on the flame to toast and add yhe water and mix. Let cook!

amother

Firebrick

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 10:53 am

Easy recipe with puff pastry and apples, where she can roll out puff pastry, cut into shape with a cookie cutter and put slices of apple on top, sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon to make 'apple pie'.
Equally you could start with a made dough for cookies that she gets to roll out.

YounginBP

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 10:56 am

Kugel.
I do most of the peeling, I crack the eggs.
You can measure and he/she can pour the oil, water, spices.

The best part is that you can actually step away for 2 min, (stay in the kitchen tho!) while the child feeds the potatoes thru the machine. Plugging in and turning the knob too!
I do 6 potatoes and mix it in the processer.
If your doing more you'll need a bowl for combining. That may be kinda splash splash. Hopefully better than flour.

If you do want to do with a flour, an apple crumble may work. Scrub hands well and have them dig in. Sensory play!

amother

Jasmine

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 11:20 am

Easiest of all for that age is an ice cream pie. Have them crush pareve oreos in a bag (no mess!!) very well. Then they put the crushed cookies into a graham cracker crust. Pour two containers of whip over the top (don't whip it first, just pour it straight in). Freeze.

Done. And delicious!

amother

Freesia

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 11:26 am

My 4 yr old helps me make everything. He won't let me cook w.o him helping. He knows how to peel potatoes, he can almost crack eggs, he breads schnitzel, spices cholent lol. It makes him feel like a million dollars when we eat it and say wow dovid made this

YounginBP

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 11:33 am

amother Jasmine wrote:

I wonder if its possible to mess this up. I made this and we hated it..
The whip wasn't fully defrosted, so when I refroze it had icicles. The taste was nothing like an ice cream pie. It tasted exactly like the defrosted whip.

yamz

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 11:57 am

YounginBP wrote:

I usually don't comment on responses, but....Please, please don't step away for even a moment while your 4 year old is using the food processor!

Highstrung

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 12:16 pm

My daughter has been helping me in the kitchen since she’s 4 .
Egging challah and sprinkle sesame seeds.

Making brownies from a cake mix . I crack and check the eggs for her first and give her all the ingredients already measured . She needs to toss them into a bowl and mix with a hand beater and pour into a 9x13 pan.

Peel potatoes for kugel and veggies for soup

Gefilte fish

Salmon

zaq

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 2:08 pm

It's not the recipe that matters, but the task you assign. The most complicated recipe breaks down into individual steps, many of which require little skill. Too young to break eggs without getting the shell inside is still old enough to stir the eggs. Too young to accurately measure is still old enough to dump the measured contents into a bowl, or to use a buttered piece of wax paper to grease baking pans.

amother

Rose

Mon, Sep 11 2023, 3:30 pm

My kids sometimes enjoy making knaidalach, especially rounding them into balls.