Worms in Dirt

My mother is always thinking of fun things to do with my twin daughters. Now that they are two, a few weeks ago she thought it was a perfect time to have them start cooking with Grandma. First on the menu was ‘Worms in Dirt’ (aka chocolate pudding with Oreo Cookie crumbs and gummy worms). It wasn’t gourmet, but it sure was fun!

Here’s how we made this cooking activity toddler-friendly:

1. Suit up. Maddie and Riley felt special the moment they got to Grandma’s house after they were presented with personalized, handmade aprons. Now, I’m not suggesting that every toddler should have their own apron, but you could do anything from wearing a fun hat, to changing into a special shirt to signal to your little one that it’s time to get down to cooking.
2. Wash up. Before starting, we helped the girls wash their hands at the sink and explained to them that whenever we’re working with food, we have to wash our hands. They got involved by turning on the tap, rubbing their hands together to lather their soap and of course, drying them off on a towel.
3. Step up. Getting little ones counter-height can be a challenge, and having two girls stepping up to the counter at the same time makes using chairs difficult. My mom had a great idea—we used an old coffee table as a stool. It was sturdy and both girls fit on it with room to spare.
4. Set up. Before starting, my mom had all of her tools out and ready to go, which meant the girls didn’t lose interest while she was searching for the right measuring cup.
5. Let the fun begin. Making ‘Worms in Dirt’ was a lot of fun. The girls were able to help by pouring the milk in the pudding mix and helping to assemble the cups once the pudding was ready. They sprinkled cookie crumbs into the individual cups and helped Grandma add worms and a flower.
6. Eat up! The big reward for a job well done was eating the final product. Both girls loved the pudding and cookie crumbs, and were happy to take some home.
7. Clean up. After we were finished eating our special treats, we worked together to clean up the counter (Maddie & Riley helped pass Grandma and Mommy dirty dishes to load into the dishwasher) and then all washed our hands again.

Recipe: Worms in Dirt

Tagged under: kids dessert,worms in dirt,dirt party,dirt dessert

Category: recipes,food,make-ahead,dessert