Cooking with a Toddler: Banana Bread

This is how he kept himself busy while I organized the ingredients. I looked the first time and he had pulled out and was playing with the cups. After a while I looked again, and he had packed up everything and moved on to the pot and lid which he got from the cupboard. You can see the green cup that he carried over. I love how he is able to find activities by himself and clean up after himself. The benefits of order and the prepared environment

Utensils and ingredients set up and ready to be used. Notice most of the containers are glass. Young children are capable of being careful when given the opportunity. I have noticed that when given the opportunity very early in life, young children are very aware and very careful when handling glass. The containers are also the right sizes for his little hands.

Peel the bananas and put them in the first mixing bowl. I love how much focus this requires from my 14 month old. He is refining his fine motor skills and even though they are doing different things, both of his hands are working towards a common goal.
He considered tasting the banana but resisted the urge. It’s normal ok for them to taste the ingredients.

Mash the bananas. I let him start and then I help and then let him finish. He switches hands several times. I’m still trying to figure out the dominant hand

First we poured in the flour (1 2/3 cups). It is interesting to see how far along he has come from this post. I had to help him then but this time, he did all the pouring most of the mixing independently. I also love how controlled his movements are. You can almost see the mathematical mind at work as he centers the bowl and pours carefully.
Another thing I noted was that he didn’t mind the flour on his hands. This is new. He used to hate it.

Then we added the baking powder (2 teaspoons), baking soda (1/4 teaspoon) and salt (1/2 teaspoon)
Each time he would pick the cup, look into it, pour and then look into it again to make sure it was empty.
Another random observation was that he picked all the containers with two hands but always poured the smaller ones with one hand. The mathematical mind, self-awareness etc.

Pour in the vegetable oil (1/3 cup)- We used Canola oil.

Pour in the eggs (2).
Someone had scooped some flour into the eggs but it did not matter. He always poured out of these bowls using two hands.

Pour in the sugar (we used 1/3 cups but will used 1/4 next time. The recipe said 2/3 cups)

Mix!

Now its time to add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.
He scooped it and then when there was too little left to scoop, he poured. The bowl must have been a little damp when we started because some of the flour would not come off. He kept trying to pour it out so I showed him how to scrape it with his hands.

At this point we did a check to make sure we had used everything and realized we forgot to add the vanilla extract (1.5 teaspoons) so we did.

Mix it very well and then pour into your greased pan. I had to show him how to brush the oil on the pan so no pictures of that step. He tried to scoop it into the pan using the spoon and then we poured it together.

He seemed to realize we were done because he immediately took off his apron.
I put it in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. I checked it with a tooth pick (should come out dry) and brought it out. It was hot so he watched from far. I wonder if he made the connection that it was the banana bread he prepared. Children are about the process and not necessarily the product

He loved this product though! We were supposed to wait for it to cool down but we did not. He shared with me, daddy, grandma and a friend. We all loved it and will be making another one as soon as our bananas are ripe enough!