Today is pancake day, or Shrove Tuesday, as it's known to many. It's a time to flip, flip, and flip again, and eat some yummy pancakes. Pancakes are really simple and quick to make, which makes them perfect for getting little ones involved with cooking. What's more, cooking with children in their early years provides a bunch of fun, learning opportunities.
By following the easy pancake recipe, children can learn to:
- follow instructions and understand sequencing;
- develop early maths skills by counting and measuring out ingredients;
- develop literacy skills and recognise common words;
- understand health by discussing healthy foods and those that should be kept to a minimum;
- understand hygiene by washing hands before, during, and after cooking - hand-washing songs make this activity extra fun and memorable;
- develop fine motor skills by mixing ingredients.
Making pancakes with children also provides invaluable bonding time, which can have a powerful emotional benefit for everyone involved. So, let's get these pancakes flipping!
We've created a fun pancake recipe that will allow children to get creative with shapes, letters, and colours. Children should be supervised throughout the pancake making process.
Fun pancake recipe for children
Ingredients
- 130g plain flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- 130ml milk
- 1 egg beaten
- 2tbsp melted butter (cooled) plus a little extra for frying
- variety of natural food colourings
Equipment
- sieve
- mixing bowl
- whisk/fork
- smaller bowls
- funnel - optional but can make things easier for you
- squeezy bottle - simply use an old, washed-out condiment bottle, or purchase from stores such as Amazon.
- non-stick frying pan
- spatula
Method
- support your child to sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
- offer a folk/whisk to whisk together egg and milk with the melted butter.
- encourage your child to add liquid to the dry ingredients and mix until any lumps have gone.
- if you’d like to get creative with shapes, colours, or letters, separate your batter into smaller bowls and add your different food colourings to each bowl, mix until combined.
- assist your child to pour your different coloured batters into the different squeezy bottles, then ask them to pick a colour batter that they would like for their pancake.
- adult role - heat a non-stick frying pan to a medium heat, add some butter and allow to melt. Using your squeezy bottles, draw for your child different patterns in the pan – ask your child if they would like you to draw letters, hearts, sunshines, or even faces! Flip your pancake when it starts to bubble and cook on the other side
- provide your child’s favourite toppings to serve with, such as chopped up strawberries and bananas - always ensure fruit is prepared appropriately for the age of your child. Encourage your child to be creative and decorate their pancake before enjoying.
Happy pancake day!
