5 fun and easy outdoor cooking ideas for kids

Guest author, written by Jordan

The overload of tech gadgets available and the high-paced lives we are leading causes us to spend less time outside, especially with children. But outdoor activities are an excellent chance to bond with children while getting fresh air. 

Cooking together can create fantastic memories, so how about preparing a meal in outdoor conditions? You can go camping or prepare everything in your backyard. The experience is what matters, and here are the top outdoor cooking ideas to make this time memorable!

Top 3 Tips for Outdoor Cooking for Kids

1. Cook only the meals you’ve already tried. This minimizes the chances of any surprises along the way.

2. Pick simple recipes. It will ensure your child can participate in most preparation steps. Additionally, you might not have all amenities available outside, so don’t overcomplicate things.

3. Keep everything organized. That includes separating the ingredients in different bags, keeping the recipe nearby at all times, etc.

Campfire Cooking for Kids

If you feel ready for camping, you are in for an excellent time with your children! Don’t forget the importance of keeping ingredients fresh. Check if you brought everything you need, and read these tips before you go!

Campfire safety for kids

Camping will probably involve using an open flame for your cooking adventures. Always choose locations where the law allows you to make a fire. Use rocks around an improvised fire pit, or use a grill you brought from home.

Talk to your child and make sure they understand they shouldn’t get too close to the fire. Demonstrate how to properly use any tools you may have to use on the campfire. And don’t forget to have a large water bucket nearby if things get out of control!

Choose Healthy Ingredients

Choosing healthy isn’t always the easiest – especially if camping and looking for convenience. But, cooking with your kids is a great opportunity to teach teach them about keeping healthy diet.

Choose the Best Campfire Cooking Tools

It seems there are all sorts of ways to start a fire. Maybe let your child experiment a bit and see if they can get a fire going on their own. You’ll also want a grill and some sort of campfire cooking kit. Utensils like a long-handled spatula and long tongs will keep hands further away from the heat. Oven mitts will also protect little hands from potential accidental burns. Aluminum foil is a convenient way of wrapping food and keeping it warm. Finally, bring reusable plates and utensils to consume food.

5 Outdoor Cooking Ideas for Kids

If you are having problems finding the perfect recipe for cooking outdoors with children, we got you covered! Check out the following suggestions and give them a shot during your next cooking session!

1. Campfire Breakfast for Dinner

Breakfast recipes are the easiest (and so yummy!). Here are some suggestions:

Scrambled eggs with veggies. Use a skillet to prepare this delicious treat. Tomatoes, asparagus, and red onion are among the top veggies to add. And don’t hesitate to spice everything up with some bacon!

Frittata. It’s another easy meal where you can improvise the ingredients to get the desired flavors.

Egg sweet potato hash. Use bacon to grease the skillet and add eggs and sweet potato, along with desired spices.

2. Baking Something Sweet for Dessert

Here’s where the fun starts for children. They’ll love preparing something sweet to eat outdoors. You can take custom cookie cutters and mold biscuits to resemble their favorite superheroes and other shapes. These sweets are easy to make, and children are guaranteed to enjoy them!

You can try camping treats, such as s’mores. Or, bring along a few pie irons and make some apple cinnamon campfire pies by following this recipe here!

Fully cooked apple cinnamon hobo pies
Apple Cinnamon Campfire Pies by Take Them Outside

3. Outdoor Lunch Recipes

The entire idea is not to complicate things, so how about throwing some sausages on the grill? Apart from hotdogs, consider flatbread pizza. Choose the ingredients based on the desired dietary requirements. And if you want a true treat, grill some trout or another fish. And if someone can catch that fish, it will spice up the entire experience!

4. Dinner Recipes for Campfire Cooking

You can’t go wrong with sausages, but spice things up with a different approach. For example, make kebabs by using skewers and adding meat, peppers, and zucchini to them. Wrapping asparagus in bacon and throwing it on a barbecue is another easy dinner recipe. Another simple but tasty treat is a foil pack. Let the children pick the ingredients, put them in the foil, and then on a grill!

Check out this list of favourite foil pack recipes!

an opened foil pack on a camping dish

Simple and Easy Outdoor Snack Recipes

A banana boat can be a tasty and delicious camping treat. You can fill the banana with marshmallows and chocolate. Wrap it in foil until warming the banana, but melting other ingredients. If you prefer a salty snack, how about some popcorn? Forget about the microwave and use the old-school way to make them. Add popcorn kernels and some oil to a spacious pot, stir and shake, and enjoy listening to them pop!

Written by Jordan River

Writer and cooking enthusiast

Jordan is an experienced baker as well as an event management specialist. She went into a marketing and customer care role, working with JB Cookie Cutters to educate and share her experience. She’s had her fair share of kitchen and cooking tools and knows exactly what works best and why.  

Before she started writing and customer care, Jordan got a graduate degree in marketing and communications. She is a mom of two, so when not writing, she loves cooking and testing new recipes, improvising in the kitchen, and creating unique things that turn into family events.

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