Cook and Clean

• What: More uses for baking sheets
• When: 2 years and up
• Why: Easy to move, keep track of pieces
• Where: At home

Got an old tarnished cookie sheet languishing in your cabinets? How about a kid who loves Lego or arts and crafts, and constantly takes up tons of table space with their multi-day projects? Put old or new cookie sheets to good use and make it easy to move kids’ projects around to boot with this simple trick.

Give kids a cookie sheet to contain their supplies. Whether they need to corral all the tiny pieces to build a legendary World War II fighter plane, or the thousands of tiny colored plastic beads to create a unique gift for loved ones, make everyone’s lives easier. The raised edges of baking sheets keep small pieces from escaping, while still allowing kids easy access to materials.

And the cookie sheet can be easily transported around the house. Need to use the table for a meal? Set the loaded cookie sheet aside while eating. Sibling rivalry interfering with creating? Kids can take the entire sheet to a bedroom to continue working in peace. We’ve used this trick for a variety of projects, from messy science experiments to fantastic creations, and it makes everyone happier. I don’t have to clean up their mess, and they don’t have to pack and unpack supplies each time they want to return to their projects. 

Cookie sheets make great flat surfaces on carpet or rugs. They also stack on top of books, pillows, or other less suitable spaces when you need to make more room in tight spaces, like small family apartments or shared bedrooms. Just make sure you have plenty of cookie sheets or that you won’t need your cookware for actual baking until the kids finish. Then enjoy the ease of clean up and completion without all the fuss.