NJ parents: It’s not too early to think of winter activities

Before you know it, it’s going to be time to start thinking about stuff to do for the kids when it gets cold out.

Cooking and baking are always a hit with kids. Growing up, my kids were obsessed with the Easy Bake Oven, which I encouraged. The oven was small, the clean-up wasn’t too extensive, and the basic recipes gave my kids several foundations of cooking that they’d use later on.

Mini cupcakes, donuts and French fries? Your kids’ new favorite activity. As I was reminiscing on these times, I was reminded of one baking DIY that many may not have heard of: Popin Cookin.

If you haven’t tried one of these kits you’re missing out. No matter what age you will be fascinated with this kit.

Popin Cookin is essentially a DIY cooking kit with a twist: Everything is mini. The kit is about the size of a mini iPad, and comes with tiny molds and packets that need water added to them. All you have to do to recreate the image on the box is follow the easy instructions.

When I first got this I expected my product to be a complete fail, but it was actually kind of fun. I first tried the donut kit, which came with several flavors of dough packets, frosting, sprinkles, and molds for the donuts.

While following the instructions, I combined the mixtures, placed the dough into the mold and after 30 seconds in the microwave I had a cute little donut. The kit was easy and quite addicting, as I began seeking out other ones to try.

Now, I’ll be honest, the products are definitely not gourmet, but they are a great weekend activity.

If you have children wanting to try cooking but aren’t quite ready to let them touch the stove or oven you’ll want to check this out. The donut kit can be purchased on Amazon, along with countless other mini desserts.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi Franco’s own.