Cooking with children can be more than just preparing food — it can also be a playful and learning-filled adventure. You can weave small games right into the process: turn a step into a rhyme, slip in a riddle, or even make a silly mistake on purpose. For example, while baking an apple pie, you […]
Helpers in the Kitchen: Songs, Rhymes… and Silence Read Post »
When we think of cooking with children, we usually picture ingredients, recipes, and final results. But just as important as what we cook is how we begin. Over the years of working with children, I’ve learned that having a small ritual at the start of an activity can make all the difference. It helps children switch from running and playing into
Little Rituals That Create Big Connection Read Post »
There is one skill that can completely change how much joy both children and adults experience during an activity. It’s the ability to see what’s important — and let go of the rest. Think about it: in life, too, when we try to cover everything at once, we quickly lose the sense of happiness and end up exhausted. The same
Seeing What Matters: Letting Go of the Rest Read Post »
When I first started cooking with children, I didn’t have a ready-made method. I searched for recipes by intuition, tried, observed. In the beginning, I was often driven by ambition: I wanted to show parents what we could achieve together with their children — sometimes even choosing complicated recipes. But in the end, I wore
Steps to Cookies: Finding Joy in the Process Instead of Chasing the Result Read Post »
I remember about ten years ago, during the Christmas season, when we built a whole “cookie city” together. The format was simple: there were creative workshops for adults, and one of them was my own gingerbread workshop for children. What amazed me most was the children’s ability to stay focused for such a long time.
Creating Safe and Free Spaces for Children Read Post »
When I first imagined the Winter book, I saw it mainly as a mix of recipes and activities for children. But while working on the recipe for Chocolate Christmas Trees, a new idea quietly appeared. At first, Anastasiia drew a cozy scene: Mommy Bear decorating a cake with the little ones, while Daddy Bear was bringing home the Christmas tree. I decided to split this into two parts, and that
How One Illustration Inspired to Winter Pages Read Post »
The Winter book didn’t start from scratch. It was built on the lively, ongoing experience of cooking classes with children, where recipes were tried, tested, and loved. That’s what made the process simpler—and so much warmer. Every recipe in this book has been tested over time. For the past ten years, I’ve been making them with children in my cooking classes. We baked the same pies, cookies, and cakes again
Recipes That Grew from My Cooking Classes Read Post »
When the book transformed into four seasonal volumes instead of one large collection, another idea became clear right away: each book would include not only 13 recipes, but also playful rhymes, riddles, and themed activities for children. These activities always stay connected to the kitchen — just in a fun, imaginative way. They help children practice many skills
Playful Pages Beyond Recipes Read Post »
I don’t know how other books are usually created, but for us, everything came together instantly. From the very beginning, I imagined the story in watercolor. My very first book also had watercolor illustrations, and I’ve always loved this style — its softness, its transparency, the way it makes images feel alive. I even tried
When the Bears Found Us Right Away Read Post »
Autumn has always been a time of special inspiration for me. Nature slows down, and I become more in tune with my inner world. The crispness in the air seems to give my dreams more confidence, gently turning them into action. It was the same before. In the fall of 2014, I created my first
How the Savor Life: A Delicious Way to Grow Series Was Born Read Post »
Follow along for seasonal cooking, family moments, and book updates.
ICONIER Digital Agency