Using prepared dough is one of the easiest ways to introduce very young children (or special needs kids of any age that are functioning at the 18-36 month level) to food preparation. With the right mindset, it is the beginning of a wonderful way to share practical skills, build sensory and motor skills, and enjoy the company of very young cooks.
The greatest objections to using prepared dough, whether pre-cut or just pre-mixed, are that these are high-carb/low nutrition foods, and that they include preservatives. Both of these statements are true. They are also true of most of the food I see served to young children and consumed by parents. I can count on one hand the number of families I have worked with in 25 years that do not consume any foods containing either preservatives or sugar.
Most families limit their consumption of both, and that makes a lot of sense. Nobody is going to make cookies of any kind every day of the week, and maybe not even every month. These are treats. The dough can be purchased, already made with very wholesome ingredients, in specialty stores. Adults can also make their dough from scratch well before including the child, as you would do with “refrigerator cookies” and pre-slice it, so that a child only has to place circles of dough on a cookie sheet to bake them off.
The greatest benefit of using pre-made dough is the ability to have only a few steps in the entire process of baking, so that a child is introduced to the experience of making food in an easy and positive manner. Beginning with many ingredients and many steps that only the adult can perform is a sure-fire way to create a huge mess and create a negative experience for both the child AND the adult. Young children have no sense that food is prepared. They aren’t often witness to any preparation or cleaning. This is a wonderful way to introduce them to the process. Of course, no child can be involved with the use of an oven or touching hot pans. That is OK; we want children to build their patience and attention!
Most kids are quickly ready to progress to using pre-mixed dry ingredients and blending them with wet ingredients, and then helping to measure and mix all ingredients. The use of pre-made dough is simply a first step in a long process of involving kids in the kitchen!
