A Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cut Out Cookies

Parents who are experienced bakers will learn a whole new kind of baking when they let their toddler help. Parents have one idea about how to make decorative and tasty Christmas cookies, but toddlers have their own cookie making master plans and agendas. Adventurous parents can explore Christmas cookie making and holiday cookie recipes with their ambitious cookie baking toddlers.

Warning: This activity is not for parents who need a clean kitchen, who dislike flour in their hair or who are actually trying to make cut out Christmas cookies to give away or serve to people.

A Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #1:
Taste the Dough Whenever Possible

"Even though mommy and daddy say not too, because it's not safe, I am going to shove a piece of cookie dough in my mouth when they're not looking. If they see me, I will take it back out and mush it into the dough before they get a chance to take it away." [Insert toddler giggle]

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #2:
Cookie Dough Does Not Taste Like Play-Doh

"Christmas cookie sugar cookie dough does not taste like Play-Doh. It may look the same, but it does not have that same yummy taste."

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #3:
You Can Never Have Enough Flour

"Mommy only slightly agrees with this one. There is never enough flour on the table , on the dough on the cookie cutters, on mommy, on me, on the floor......"

"That's okay, I do my part to make sure there is plenty of flour everywhere."

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #4:
Cookie Dough and Play-Doh Are the Same

"Mommy doesn't think I should mix Play-Doh with the cookie dough." Shrug.

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #5:
Use the Roller to Make Music

"Mommy thinks the roller is for turning the dough into a flat pancake. I know better, it's for music. I can make really loud music with the cookie roller. Until mommy takes the roller away."

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #6:
Cookie Cutters Don't Work

"Mommy presses the cookie cutter into the dough and makes pretty star and tree shapes. My shapes never come out right, even though I keep banging the cookie cutter into the dough. Hmmph! Bad cookie cutters!"

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #7:
Holiday Sprinkles Are for Eating

"Mommy and daddy like to sprinkle on colorful jimmies and sugars on the cookies. Not me, I like to use a spoon to scoop them up and eat them."

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #8:
It's Fun to Lick Cookie Cutters

"So what if that makes the dough stick! It's fun to lick the cookie cutters."

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #9:
Holiday Cookies Taste Good Even if They Look Funny

Sometimes mommy doesn't like the way our cookies turn out. I do. They look funny, but they always taste good!

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #10:
The First Bite is the Best

"The first bite of any cookie is the best bite. That's why I will only eat one bite of cookie. One bite from every cookie, that is."

Toddler's Guide to Making Christmas Cookies Tip #11:
Daddy and Santa Are Related Because They Like the Same Cookies

"Mommy makes Santa's favorite cookies which are the same as Daddy's favorite cookies. They must be related or something!"

Sometimes mommy doesn't like the way our cookies turn out. I do. They look funny, but they always taste good!