One of my fondest holiday memories as a youngster growing up in western Cape Breton Island, was the day my mom pulled from the cupboards a mouth-watering selection of bags, jars and bottles containing delights such as red and green cherries (the latter being something we'd only see at Christmas), and we'd set about baking.

Out would come raisins and nuts, currents and mixed peel, coconut and flour. If wind and snow whipped outside, we were deliciously cozy in the warmth of the kitchen and my mother's culinary embrace, mixing, measuring and shaping memories every bit as strong and sweet as the savories we formed on the counter - long logs of butterscotch cookies, cherry balls, pork pies, fruit and gumdrop cakes, sugar cookies and shortbread.

When I began having my own children, I wanted to carry on that tradition. And at no time is it easier to get kids involved with cooking than during the excitement of the holidays.   But, apart from the wonderful memories and the all-important parent-child bonding, "Kids today are very interested in food," says Brodie Coffin, project co-ordinator for the Culinary Boot Camps, which includes a Kids are Kookin' camp, at the Culinary Institute of Canada in Charlottetown, PEI. "They are brought up watching celebrity chefs and the food network and are becoming serious consumers of the culinary culture."

Coffin says it is very important to educate kids on healthy food choices and meal preparation, especially with such a huge increase in child obesity. By involving kids in the meal production, he says, you are providing them with a sense of responsibility because you are giving them tasks which they deem very important. (Trust me: my own three little chefs fight over the right to pour ingredients into muffins and regard mixing with all the gravity of neurosurgery.)

Another bonus? Kids are more apt to try new foods when they are involved in the cooking process, Coffin says. "Cooking brings families together, which seems more difficult to do in today's busy society. More than not, especially at a younger age, children just want to do what their parents are doing. We should be making the most of the precious time we have with our children at this age and never wish the time away from them."

Jennifer Sylvester, a special events co-ordinator at St. Francis Xavier University, can relate. The Antigonish County mom of two says with both herself and her husband working outside the home, their increasingly busy schedules, compounded with their children's extra-curricular activities, they are always looking for fun and enjoyable ways to spend much-needed quality time with each other. "For us, cooking at home does exactly that… Our daughter, in particular, gets a real sense of pride of ownership and accomplishment when she proudly displays her treats and invites other family members to enjoy. It's such a wonderful feeling to see in your child."

She says talking is the key to success. "Introduce the idea of baking with your children and family and get the discussion going. Most parents who do not currently cook and/or bake will be surprised at the interest they will receive."

She says parents should remember that they don't need a culinary background or a kitchen full of baking gear to make this work. If time doesn't allow, or if the parents are not comfortable starting from scratch, she says there are a number of great ready-made products at the grocery store that can be easily prepared and enjoyed in under an hour. Cookie cutters are another inexpensive way to make baking fun. They apply seasonally and can be used for not only cookies, but jello-jigglers, and even for morning pancake fun. For older children she says the Internet can be a great resource to get the culinary juices flowing.

Coffin says cooking is also an educational and cultural learning experience that allows children to learn simple mathematics, nutritional food values and geography, by learning where food comes from.

Cooking provides kids with organizational skills by prepping their foods ahead of time to ensure effective time management, he says. "You can have the kids chop vegetables and put them in labeled storage containers for later use. Kids love to put labels/stickers on things."

Family Traditions

"For our family," Coffin says, "it has always been about tradition and those traditions are the experiences that you can always seem to smell or taste even as the years go by. We have always hot beef on a bun served with a variety of accompaniments on Christmas Eve, and we would make chocolate chip cookies with the kids to leave for Santa. By creating your own family tradition through the senses, you are creating memories that will last a lifetime and possibly a tradition that will pass the test of time."

Coffin suggests having the kids pick a Christmas recipe that they believe applies to their family origin/background. For example, if their family origins are in Scotland, instead of leaving Santa cookies and milk, why not leave some oatcakes and tea-or if you are Francophone, possibly tortiere, and so on as cultural backgrounds dictate.

Other great ideas, he says, are to roast hot dogs and baked beans over an open fire-or have the kids help in preparing a holiday brunch by helping with apple and spice french toast, scrambled eggs and cheese or a nice fruit salad with a cream cheese. Chili is also a popular choice for the time of year.

You can re-kindle the spirit of giving by baking Christmas cookies with the kids and delivering them as a family to the neighbours, especially those with whom you may not communicate on a regular basis, he says. Make popcorn for the tree.

Neighbourhood Cookie Party

Last year, Sylvester and her family moved to the property next door to where she grew up. By the time they got settled Christmas was approaching, and their then five-year-old daughter was asking for a play date with some neighborhood girls. "We decided we would host our first annual holiday cookie decorating party, an opportunity for all the little ladies to pull out their favourite holiday dresses, and a few embellishments, and holiday stories.

We were so pleased with the turnout and enjoyed ourselves so much that the planning has already started for our next one."

How to get them involved

• Coffin suggests being creative in your cooking-especially around the holidays-by preparing fun menu choices with festive themes.
• Tell your kids what the recipe calls for and have them gather everything up, either in the kitchen or in the grocery store.
• Get them to mix together all of the ingredients.
• Tell them for whom you are preparing the food, i.e. grandma, grandpa, sister, brother, dad etc, and they are more able to take an invested interest in cooking the meal.
• Ask them questions to see if they are paying attention and encourage them to cook, but don't force it on them.
• Make sure you get their hands dirty by allowing them to break eggs, make hamburger meatballs, knead pizza dough etc.
• Make sure they also take on all responsibility of the kitchen-cooking, cleaning and proper handling of food products to prevent the spreading of germs and bacteria. "With the flu virus running rampant during this time of year, we must teach the kids to make sure that they are washing their hands properly. A good way to ensure that they are washing for maximum protection is to have them sing a short song while washing, such as 30-second nursery rhymes. This also helps build valuable life skills that they will carry with them down the road."

(Editor's note: parents and grandparents are reminded that extra care is always warranted in the kitchen when young children are present.)