I always attempt to allow children to be as independent as possible and when going shopping or making cakes I think independence and learning is optimised if children are fully involved through the use of pictorial lists and recipes. I usually draw these but occasionally collect photos or draw on computer for printing (usually for times I need to impress!!).
The above recipe is just perfect for a single child to make with very little adult input, making four cup cakes. I used a chocolate cake mix in this recipe but as long as it is this ratio of dry versus liquid it should work. When you use the microwave for cooking cakes is works best if you put paper cases into silicone cases to help the cakes hold their shape. Also microwaves vary and this is an average time (don't have on highest setting in a 700watt oven).
This is particularly good for pre/ emerging readers especially those with special needs, as it is clear, gives sense of achievement and is motivating. Have pictorial recipes in role play area too.
So
me other pictorial recipes I have created are availible from TES resources section (you will need to register=free)
"Omit and substitute! That's how recipes should be written. Please don't ever get so hung up on published recipes that you forget that you can omit and substitute." Jeff Smith
What to do with a left over spring roll container? I can't be the only one who sees a piece of "rubbish" and thinks that may be useful, then has nothing to do with it? I had to think of something quick otherwise this "useful" piece of trash was going in the recycle bin for melting. So...
Place coloured card (you could also use patterned scrap book paper, I regretted not doing this) into each of the compartments.
Collect a peg for each of the interior walls. Stick a piece of card to each side of the pegs corresponding to the two adjacent coloured compartments of the wall that the peg is attached to e.g. the peg on the bottom right of this picture would have a purple and a green side.
This ingenious construction is made using a collection of tins and jars with metal lids. The paper is stuck to each tin with a magnet. Creating a fabulous construction with lots of additional possibilities.
Had a genius moment today (can't reach the kids paintbrushes in the cupboard, there's been a landslide so came up with this idea). Using porcupine mini porcupine balls attached to clothes pegs as printers/ paintbrushes, worked very well although the pegs were a bit temperamental holding onto the balls I would probably not use the pegs in future.
We then squirted paint onto paper in a tray, popped a ball in. After lots of tilting and some unpredictable ball movements we had a paper full of little dots. Would be lovely with white paint on black paper for snow!!! (shame I didn't photograph the end result)
I always attempt to allow children to be as independent as possible and when going shopping or making cakes I think independence and learning is optimised if children are fully involved through the use of pictorial lists and recipes. I usually draw these but occasionally collect photos or draw on computer for printing (usually for times I need to impress!!). 
