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 is true in the kitchen.
Breaking Down the Process
If you look at cookie-making, there are many possible steps:
1. Mixing the dough
2. Rolling and cutting shapes
3. Baking
4. Making the icing
5. Decorating with icing, sprinkles, or fondant
It’s tempting to fit them all into one class or one afternoon. But when the little chefs are young or less experienced, that often means rushing — and rushing leaves little space for joy.
Choosing Less for More Joy
Instead, it helps to narrow it down to just two key steps. For example:
🌟 Make the icing + decorate cookies
or
🌟 Roll and cut cookies (from pre-made dough) + decorate (with icing prepared ahead of time)
This way, children can focus on the most engaging parts — and adults can enjoy the process too, without stress or pressure.
It may sound like a repetition of what I’ve shared before — but that’s because it’s truly important. Some lessons are worth hearing again and again, until we can really feel them and live them out.
The children would not have been able to enjoy decorating and assembling this winter scene if we had started the class by mixing the dough.
ICONIER Digital Agency