Maths in the kitchen: Counting fun with Smartie cookies

Cooking with kids can be educational without them really knowing about it – always a bonus! With this recipe, basic counting, simple maths and complex sums are all covered.

What you need:

• Smartie cookies recipe
• 55 extra NESTLÉ Smarties (keep to one side)

Number of players:

Activity:

The trick to this activity is to have the kids weighing, measuring and counting everything so their math skills are challenged.

Step 1. Create the Smartie cookies with the kids and ice the cookies using this chocolate buttercream icing.

Step 2. With the extra Smarties, get the kids to add them on to each cookie: the first cookie should have one Smartie, the second should have two, the third should have three, and so on, going right through to 10.

Step 3. Let the maths begin! 

Notes:

• Don't let the kids know how many Smarties you've started with. Have them calculate the sum of the numbers from 1-10.
• Before eating the cooled cookies, there are heaps of maths games to be played. Try adding two and then three of the cookies together. For older kids, you could subtract or multiply.
• Cookies make great word math games too. For example, "If you had three cookies and I ate one, how many would you have left?"