THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS are slowly but surely coming to an end and there’s a strong chance the kids are running out of things to keep them busy.

If you’re at a loss for how to keep them occupied – particularly if the ‘summer’ continues the way it has been for the last few week, we’ve got the best solution – get them cooking.

You can never learn to cook too early, and as you and your kids will always need to eat, it’s a great skill to develop and can turn into a life-long passion – good for you and great for them.

In order to get you started we’ve rounded up some easy ways to keep them busy in the kitchen and provide you with some tasty treats at the same time.

Enjoy – and let us know if you try any of the recipes in the comments below.

 1. Lemon cream buscuits

Kevin Dundon makes lemon biscuits with his daughter Sophie and ices them together with butter icing.

They look wonderfully homemade and imperfect and little Sophie looks delighted with herself as she noshes down.

Perfection isn’t the aim here, just having a nice time with the kids, and making something delicious to have with a cuppa.

2. Quiche in a cup

Rebecca Rebecca

This is a nice recipe for making custom-sized meals for the little ones and the novelty of eating dinner out of a cup won’t wear off for a while, we wager.

According to the blog, cooking with your kids – getting them involved in the process – is a great way to counteract picky eating too, as they see what’s going into their food and have a sense of ownership.

So, win-win.

Here’s the recipe.

3. Potato and asparagus gratin with green garlic crispies

Dash and Bella Dash and Bella

There’s actually two versions of this on the blog – a not so fancy and a more fancy version. Depending on how hungry you and the kids are, and what age your children are – and how much they can help – will probably determine which version you make.

Either way, delicious cheesy potato-y goodness abounds.

Here’s the recipe.

4. Tortilla pizzas

Debbie Debbie

You don’t need the kids around you to make this one, but it gives you an excuse.

So easy, so tasty – you’ll be fighting with them over who gets the last one. In an interesting twist – no tomato sauce is used on the base… but what is? We’ll let you find out.

We’ve got the recipe right here - and it’s a doozy.

5. Orange drizzle cupcakes

Who doesn’t like a good cupcake? There’s nothing so satisfying as making a simple tasty treat – and the kids will have loads of fun keeping an eye on the cakes rising (if they can view through the oven door).

Topped with a delicious drizzle icing, it couldn’t be easier to decorate them – and even easier to eat them all.

Do you cook with your kids? Have you any easy recipes to share? Let us know in the comments below.