Are you feeling guilty because you feel like you should be doing some form of formal instructions with your children (i.e. schoolwork) but have a full schedule of Christmas baking that needs to be done by next week?

Fear not! While it may be easier for you – as the mom – to set yourself up in the kitchen and get the baking done alone, why no involve all of the kids and make it in to a tasty and delicious math lesson? Tasty and delicious? Math? It is not only possible, but can be fun, as well!

Some of the math basics that you can teach as you prepare your holiday treats include:
- Measuring
- Counting
- Estimating
- Fractions
- Shapes
- Sizes

With different ingredients and measuring tools (teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, etc) you can really open up a dialogue on how different measurements break down – how many teaspoons in a tablespoon? How many ounces in a cup? These are facts that kids of any age can use and will appreciate as they grow older.

Besides the math factor, you will also be teaching your children the importance of following a recipe and following directions because as we all know, baking is an exact science and so paying attention to the details will make the difference between tasty treats or a doughy mess!

Imagine the pride on their young faces as they share the story with family and friends who visit for Christmas how they helped bake and decorate the desserts! But the most important lesson that you can teach your children during this presentation is that doing a family activity such as this on together makes memories that last.