Mimi Toys Blog

I think that cooking is a great activity to do with your children: they can learn and practice a variety of skills and it gives them an understanding of food and where it all comes from. It also encourages them to try new foods that they might otherwise turn their noses up at.

Shopping for the ingredients can also be part of the activity – anything to make the supermarket trip less fraught!

With my younger children, I have found that they love getting involved with simple quick recipes that they can follow from beginning to end.  Assembling a fresh fruit salad, for example, or creating a fruit juice “cocktail”.

You can be a bit more adventurous with older kids. Once my children were old enough to open the fridge and cupboards and hold a knife safely, I encouraged them to start preparing food for themselves.

A five year old could be given sliced bread, a flat knife, a choice of spreads or toppings to make a sandwich. It’s important to be patient and, as far as possible, ignore the mess as they try out simple no-cook recipes.

I encouraged my kids to help in making their packed lunches for school. By getting them to help and asking them what they wanted, I found that they were more likely to eat up their lunches. They also came up with some interesting sandwich combinations!

For more ideas on cooking with kids, have a look at the article I have posted on www.mimitoys.ie/playarticles

I love this time of year – before it gets really cold and when the countryside is looking so colourful. I also think that it’s a great time for kids to play outside as there are plenty of interesting things to see and easy activities to do.

I think that a treasure hunt is a lovely way for children to have fun and get a healthy dose of fresh air. I have been known to sit at the kitchen table and award sticker prizes for the child who brings in the reddest leaf in the garden, or the mossiest twig!

If you want to be less lazy about it, set a proper treasure hunt out in the garden (or your favourite park) with little clues at each stop. I like to give clues that will get them thinking about nature or set mini tasks such as collecting twigs, coloured stones or different shaped leaves. Don’t forget the sticker prizes.

I also have great fun with my kids by getting them to collect any interesting leaves, conkers, bark or twigs. Once we have a healthy collection, we set out some paper, glue and craft materials and make a great big collage. This could be one big random scattering or I draw the outline of tree, squirrel or bird and we decorate it.

Autumn is a great time to teach kids about nature. Use local walks to explore the natural environment, look at birds, plants and trees and ask your little ones to make note of anything they see that interests them. You can always look it up when you get home!