As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, parents are juggling working from home and home-schooling their kids. With many recreational centers and public settings still closed, parents may be seeking advice on how to keep their children entertained at home. What if you could combine both home-schooling and baking in the kitchen? Consider pulling out an old family recipe or baking your own banana bread! Banana bread is an easy recipe that you can make with just a few simple ingredients. Baking with your children can easily turn into an educational activity and can help them develop their math skills. From measuring ingredients to doubling a recipe, making a sweet treat fun and educational just got easier. Check out how you can incorporate math into today’s baking session below!

Baking involves a lot of measuring and precision. Be sure to explain to your children the importance of weighing the ingredients and explain measurements in simple terms. Explain the use of fractions in terms of teaspoons and cups. For example, (3/4 cups of chocolate chips to 2 cups of all-purpose flour).

        It’s important your kids understand the concept of time, because you won’t want to burn the treat! Be sure to remind them how long you will preheat the oven for or bake the treat. 

For today’s baking session, you will need the following ingredients:

•  ​3 large ripe bananas

​•  2/3 cups of white or brown sugar 
​•  2 extra large eggs 

•  2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 

•  3/4 cups of all purpose flour 

•  1 teaspoon of baking soda 

•  1/4 teaspoon of salt 

• ​ 1/2 cup of unsalted butter

•  Optional: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or 3/4 cups of chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fareinheit. 

2. In a medium size bowl, whisk the melted butter and 2/3 cups of sugar until they are fully combined. Then, mix the eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, add the salt, baking soda and all purpose flour. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. 

4. In a non-stick baking pan, fill the pan with the mixture in an even layer. Bake the banana bread for 30 minutes or until firm. The treat will be complete when you are able to firmly place a toothpick or utensil through. Proceed to let the treat cool. 

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​ Note: You can substitute the ingredients to suit your child’s allergies or taste.

That was easy! You’ve mastered baking with your kids and helped reinforce the concepts they have learned in school. With the additional time at home, you can deepen the bond you have with your child. What will you bake next?

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