Cut-Out Cookies with Children

Since our kitchen was all torn up through the entire month of December, we didn't get to make any Christmas cookies. 

Very sad, I know.

So, the kids and I decided to buy some new cookie cutters and make some festive Easter cookies.

If you would ever be so "lucky" as to make cut-out cookies with six children, I have some tips for you.  I did not include a recipe, because honestly, there have got to be better ones out in the land of allrecipe and pinterest. 

The italics portions are the kids' two cents.

1.  Make the dough without them.  The cutting, baking, and decorating will be more than enough together time.  Don't feel guilty about starting the process without them.  We don't mind that you made the dough without us, but was it really necessary to lock us out of the house in order to do so? 
Yes.  Yes it was.

2.  When the dough is ready, gather all of your materials before you call the kids into the kitchen.  Make sure you divide the dough into equal parts, one for each child, then get a "station" ready for each of them.  You may want to invest in more than one rolling pin.  Or not.  It's called "learning patience".

3.  Let the kids do the work.  Demonstrate how to roll out the dough, then hand over the rolling pin.  You might want to make sure they have a sufficient amount of flour, seeing as how the dough sticks to everything.  We had to start over 5 times before we could get the cut cookies off of the counter intact.  I think that has more to do with the lack of attention to the demonstration than the lack of flour. 

Like I said, let the kids do the work.  They'll figure it out.

4.  After you make (or open the can of) frosting, separate the white icing into separate bowls to mix up a variety of colors.  Make sure you have one color for each child.  It's helpful to also make frosting in colors that match your shapes.  If you give us a cookie in the shape of a carrot, we'd appreciate it if you had some orange frosting available.   Well, that wouldn't be very creative, now would it?  (I did whip up some orange.  They were about to mutiny.)

5.  Demonstrate how to frost a cookie.  I would highly suggest keeping the cookies on the counter/table while being frosted.  There will be a much better chance of keeping the cookie intact.

6.  If you're feeling really adventurous, give them some sprinkles to add a little bling to their cookies.

7.  Leave the kids alone.  It is hard sometimes, but don't touch and don't give opinions.  Let them create all on their very own.

If the kids are in the kitchen, your goal cannot be to create perfection.  The goal is to give the kids a chance to have fun, learn some new skills, and gain some self-confidence.  They can't do that if you're hanging over their shoulders telling them what to do.

Just go into the experience knowing there will be a big mess and knowing the rabbit will probably not look like a rabbit.  It's all good.  Don't eat Cuckoo's cookies.

Agreed.

Three letters down, 23 to go!

Not a C word, but I just found out my story is part of a series called HerStories.  It is a series Jessica Smock and Stephanie Sprenger have started, and they have found some wonderful contributors.  I'm honored to be featured today at School of Smock, where I tell the story of my very best friendship of my life. 

Have a lovely day!