School’s out for summer and if you’re wondering how to keep the kids busy for the next six weeks or so, Rangemaster is here to help. Whether you’re planning a trip away or enjoying a staycation at home, there are bound to be plenty of quiet mornings or afternoons where you’re looking for inspiration. Cooking is a pretty universal activity that most children will enjoy. It’s a really fun way to involve all the family and even better, you get to eat the results afterwards!
Rangemaster’s Nexus 90 induction cooker in black
Rangemaster range cookers have a whole host of specialist features to make cooking with the kids a breeze. Features will vary depending on the model chosen so do check out the product specs online to make sure you pick the perfect range cooker for your needs.
Rangemaster’s Professional+ FX 90
Multifunction ovens for instance offer up to 11 functions, perfect for everything from crisping pizza bases (kids love to design their own pizza toppings) to browning a pasta bake. Functions can include fan, conventional and fan assisted oven, fanned grilling, browning element, defrost, base heat and Rapid Response, duo, delicate and eco modes on selected models. There are lots of recipes on this website to give you some ideas, too – we love these Mini Pizzas with Goat’s Cheese & Sunblush Tomatoes.
Kids will love making their own dough and creating pizza toppings
Selected models will also give you even greater flexibility with a bread proving drawer that reaches 37˚ to rest and rise dough before baking, a cast aluminium griddle for a healthy way to cook hot dogs and burgers and a glide-out grill on smooth telescopic runners – a safer option with little ones running around, as it reduces the risk of pulling the grill out too far.
Rangemaster’s glide-out grill, available on selected models
Rangemaster range cookers are also great for making ornaments and crafting with the kids. Salt dough can easily be made using store cupboard ingredients. Preheat your Rangemaster to 50˚C or use the Rapid Response function and line a baking tray with baking paper. To make one ball of salt dough, simply combine 250g plain flour with 125g table salt in a large bowl. Add 125ml water, a little at a time, until it all comes together in a ball.
On a floured surface, kids can now mould the dough into shapes, numbers or letters using cookie cutters or freehand. Cook the dough shapes for three hours or until solid then leave to cool and paint. Fun ideas include spelling out their name, animal shapes, flowers and trees. Just remind them that these are not edible!
Rangemaster’s Nexus SE range cooker
When you fancy something sweet in the afternoon, Rangemaster has plenty of mouth-watering recipes that you can easily bake with your little ones. How about Banana Muffins, Sunshine Muffins or Sultana Scones? There’s a whole page of recipes dedicated to Weekend Bakes – Peanut Butter Cookies and Rangemaster Signature Brownies for me, please.
Baking is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon
As well as baking and cooking, here are some more ideas for days at home…
• Make vegetable prints using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Cut lemons, oranges, limes, peppers or potatoes in half and dip into a plate with a squidge of paint on. Use to make prints on paper or old material.
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
• The Bee Box from Urbee is aimed at primary school-aged children to help them learn, create and grow for bees. The box contains bee ID cards, information cards, activity cards, seedballs with native wildflowers that bees love, a bee sketchbook, colouring-in book, coloured pencils and activity sheet.
Urbee’s Bee Box
• Kids will love to hand print a gold bee drawstring bag with this Indian block printing kit that includes everything they need as well as full instructions on what to do.
The Indian Block Print Co
Would-be Bear Grylls will love The Original Den Kit, a great outdoor kit for imaginative play. The kit includes a hefty haversack, tough camouflage tarpaulin, durable groundsheet, wooden mallet, enamelware mug, cotton tent bag, face paint, jute rope and den-building guide.
The Den Kit Company
