I recently logged into Netflix and noticed a new feature—“play something”. Not wanting to spend endless time scrolling for something to watch I clicked the new button and was introduced to the world of the Great British Baking Show. The baking terms I’ve learned! Am I the only one who didn’t know cookies are called biscuits in the U.K?!
Is your family bored and stuck inside this winter? Plan a Great British Baking Show party for your teen and/or the whole family for some friendly competition. Connect with your teen as you work through recipes, make mistakes, and hopefully produce a delicious end product.
Here are some tips to plan a Great British Baking Show family party this winter:
#1: Pick a Theme
The show often has themed episodes; breads, biscuits (cookies), pies, cakes, bold flavors. Have your teen pick the theme and what they want to bake, task them with writing the grocery list, and even let them go shopping for ingredients if that is an option you are comfortable with.
#2: Watch an Episode
If you have Netflix, you can set the tone for your baking day by watching an episode of the show. Try to watch an episode that fits the theme your teen picked. Once you’re done baking, enjoy your treats with another celebratory episode!
#3: Have a System to Judge Results
If you want to incorporate some friendly family competition, have your teen pick a judge (a younger sibling or a family member who is not participating in the baking) and create a system for judging the results of your baking day. This could include categories—such as presentation, effort, and flavor—rated on a scale of 1 to 5. Let your teen be creative with this!
Baking also provides a great opportunity for you to compliment your teen on their skills, their drive to finish a task, and willingness to learn something new. This type of reinforcement can balance the competitive nature of your baking day.
#4: Clean Up As You Go
This tip is pretty self-explanatory. Nobody wants to be left with a messy kitchen while a fresh tray of cookies is waiting! Make sure to include your teen in clean up—it’s a great way for them to learn skills that they can take with them once they leave home.
#5: Sample Instead of Baking
If cleanup, planning, and destroying your kitchen are more stressful than fun. An alternative to actually baking is to head to a local grocery store or bakery and pick up some pre-baked treats for your family to judge. You can still pick a theme and create a judging process.
Have fun with this and be creative! Maybe you’ll even be featured in your teen’s latest TikTok video if you’re really lucky!
