Yes, I really do let 2-year olds crack their own eggs
Maria Rix 
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YES. I REALLY DO LET 2-YEAR-OLDS CRACK EGGS. 🥚😂
And pour their own milk.
And measure their own flour.
And mix their own ingredients.
And yes, occasionally I stand there watching an egg being enthusiastically squashed rather than cracked and think…
Well, we’re committed now. 😂
But here’s the thing.
If we never let children try, how are they ever going to learn?
I’m Maria, and for well over a decade I’ve been teaching children to bake at Eat Sleep Bake Repeat in West Hunsbury, Northampton.
And some of my bakers are just two years old.
When people first hear that I run baking classes for preschoolers, I think they sometimes imagine a room full of toddlers decorating biscuits I’ve already made.
That’s not what we do.
They bake.
Properly.
Obviously, everything we do is adapted to their age and ability. I’m not handing a two-year-old the oven gloves and telling them to crack on. 😂
But I am giving them opportunities to do things that we adults are often very quick to do for them.
I show them how.
I give them time.
And then I let them try.
Sometimes the flour goes in the bowl.
Sometimes quite a lot of it goes on the table.
Sometimes we crack an egg beautifully.
Sometimes we have to fish a bit of shell out.
Sometimes they follow the instruction perfectly.
Sometimes they’re two and have a completely different plan. 😂
All of that is learning.
Because while the children think we’re making cakes, biscuits, scones or whatever happens to be on the menu that week, I can see everything else that’s happening around that mixing bowl.
When they spoon flour into a bowl, they’re developing their fine motor skills.
When they count three spoonfuls, we’re doing early maths.
When they listen for what comes next, they’re practising concentration and following instructions.
When they have to wait while somebody else has a turn, they’re developing social skills.
When we talk about ingredients, textures, smells and what might happen when something goes into the oven, we’re building language, curiosity and understanding.
And when something doesn’t quite work first time?
They discover they can try again.
But there’s one bit I love more than all of that.
It’s the moment a child looks at something they’ve done and you can see it register:
I did that.
Not Mummy.
Not Daddy.
Not Maria.
ME.
That’s why independence is such a huge part of Eat Sleep Bake Repeat.
As adults, helping children is instinctive.
We see them struggling to scoop something and our hand reaches out.
We see them pouring and automatically steady the jug.
We see an egg and think I’ll crack that bit.
Usually because it’s quicker.
Definitely because it’s less messy. 😂
But sometimes we need to sit on those hands.
Because a slightly wonky cake made by a child is worth so much more than a perfect one that an adult quietly took over.
The finished bake isn’t really the important bit.
The child who made it is.
Over the years I’ve watched tiny preschool bakers grow into children who know their way around a kitchen.
I’ve watched children who were reluctant to touch ingredients become curious about food.
I’ve watched confidence appear in children who initially stood back and watched.
And I’ve seen the pride when they carry their little box out of my kitchen to show someone what they’ve made.
That’s why, after all these years, I still absolutely love teaching this age group.
And it’s why I’ll keep handing two-year-olds eggs. 🥚❤️
If you’ve never come across Eat Sleep Bake Repeat before and you’re local to Northampton, my new preschool sessions are now open for booking.
📍 West Hunsbury, Northampton
🥣 Monday — 10am
🥣 Tuesday — 10am
🥣 Wednesday — 10am
The groups are deliberately small so that every child gets the opportunity to actually do the baking.
You don’t need a child who already loves baking.
You don’t need a child who can sit perfectly still.
You certainly don’t need a child who can crack an egg without getting shell in it.
That’s what we’re here to learn.
So if you’ve got a preschooler who likes saying…
“I DO IT!”
…I think they’ll fit in rather nicely. ❤️
👇 Find out more or book a place here:
[BOOKING LINK]
Eat Sleep Bake Repeat
Come for the baking.
Stay for the confidence, independence, learning and glorious mess that happens along the way. 🥣🧁❤️