Looking for an easy, kid-tested, momma and teacher approved recipe for something to make with your child this Thanksgiving? I have tried everything from fruit kabobs to homemade butter, and trust me, these Oatmeal Aggression Cookies are a winner. They are easy, cheap, and the kids have a ball making them. These are my favorite to make with my first graders because each child can make his or her own batch, so no one is left sitting around while we take turns measuring ingredients or mixing.
Here is what you will need for each child:
- medium/large mixing bowl
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Dump all of the ingredients into a bowl with no particular order. This is when the aggression (aka fun) part comes in and the kids get really excited. Everything gets mashed! The butter is the medium for keeping all of the ingredients together and I make a big deal out of really using strong muscles to make a big ball of dough. It doesn’t take very long, though younger children might need some help to squish the butter.
After the dough is formed, have your child roll spheres (geometry word snuck in there because this is real life education at its finest) in his hands. Each batch makes anywhere from 10-15 cookies. Flatten a little and then place about 1/2 inch apart on an un-greased cookie sheet. Pop in the oven for 10 minutes on 350 and ta-da! Homemade oatmeal cookies for all to enjoy, made by your future Food Network Star and budding baker.
A few insider tips:
- Don’t take the butter out of the refrigerator until you are ready to get started. If the butter softens, the dough gets a little runny and harder to form.
- This will get messy, but the clean-up is relatively painless. Other than a little oatmeal stuck to the table and the floor, we were able to clean up everything in less than 5 minutes. If your children are older, they could easily clean this up themselves.
- If your child doesn’t like to get her hands dirty, use rubber gloves. I use these with every child due to health reasons, but would definitely consider using them at home because this project can get sticky. Plus, the kids this it’s pretty awesome that they get to wear gloves.
Happy Thanksgiving!
