Throw a chef-themed party for the kids

Aspiring chefs will love coming up with their own culinary creations, and sharing the feast with their friends. For an easy appetizer, start with tortilla scoop chips. Offer a selection of fixings, including refried beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese, tomatoes and ground beef or chicken (if desired). Allow kids to layer to their liking. Bake at 180F for 10 minutes, and dig in.

Every kid loves playing with dough, so they’ll be thrilled to cook up their own pizza for a crowd-pleasing entree. Give each child a ball of pizza dough, and let them roll it out. We even have a perfect pizza dough recipe to recommend! Provide sauce, grated cheese and a variety of toppings. They’ll go to town assembling their own meal — no rules required! All you have to do is bake, slice and serve.

And, of course, no meal is complete without dessert. Give each child a cupcake, along with frosting, sprinkles and nonpareils, and unleash their inner cake boss.

Invite Cut a mini-apron out of a piece of fabric. Print the invite details on paper and attach to apron with double-sided tape. Glue a ribbon along the top for the ties.

Apron strings Purchase a small, plain apron for each child and washable felt in an assortment of colours (both available at your local craft store). Kids can cut the felt into shapes and patterns that parents can attach to the apron with a hot glue gun.

Chef's hat Looking for another great activity to keep the kids busy? Try this easy, three-step craft and make your own chef's hat!

Host with the most Mini-foodies will love pretending to be the host of their own cooking show. Use a video recorder or smart phone to film them as a fun memento.

Edible favour Find a favourite recipe. Layer ingredients in a 1 L Mason jar. Put a fabric square over the lid, and tie with string. Write the instructions on a recipe card.

A version of this article appeared in our September 2012 issue with the headline “Foodie Fete,” p. 24.