• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

What Do We Do All Day logo

  • Books
    • Classics
      • 20th Century Classics
    • Early Chapter Books
    • Easy Readers
    • Folktales
    • Holiday Books
    • Middle Grade (8-12 years)
    • Nonfiction
    • Picture Books
  • Best Games
    • Traditional Games
  • Kids Activities
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy & Writing
    • Math
    • Playful Activities
    • Science
    • Toddler
  • Parenting
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Books
  • Games
  • Activities
  • Parenting
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Learning Activities / Math Activities for Kids / Making Soft Pretzel Letter and Number Shapes with Kids

     

    Making Soft Pretzel Letter and Number Shapes with Kids

    7423 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    I have wanted to make soft pretzels for years. When I finally got around to it, my son and I had a great time twisting the dough into letter and number shapes. As a kitchen activity, this one ranks high on our list of fun times spend together!

    two trays of unbaked pretzel number and letter shapes

    Making Cooking with Kids Fun

    Every parent knows the experience of planning an activity they think will be enjoyable only to have it dissolve through a combination of tantrums, whining, uncooperative behavior (and let's face it, I'm not just referring to the kids!) and frustration. It is an all too common scenario.

    What is less common is having an activity in which you place little hope of success but are pleasantly surprised by an enjoyable experience. It just so happens that despite all my pessimism, all the stars were aligned last week when Kiddo and I made soft pretzels. Even my youngest was happily observing it all from his bumpo perch. I guess it is all about expectations.

    Follow Their Interests!

    I was expecting to do it all by myself as my son showed no signs of interest. Until, of course, I involved numbers and counting. (Regular readers of this blog know that my son loves numbers.)

    I started talking to myself...

    Me, talking out loud to no one in particular: " I am going to divide this dough in half, that makes 2. Then I cut the 2 pieces in half, that makes 4. Hmmm, when I cut 4 pieces in 2, I wonder how many I will have?....."

    That got his interest and he came right over to see what I was talking about!

    First he counted out the sections of dough.

    Child counting 16 balls of pretzel dough on cutting board

    Next, he brought over his ruler so that when we started rolling out the balls of dough into strips, he could make sure they were 16 inches long.

    green ruler on table next to long stretch of pretzel dough

    After every piece of dough was measured, he started acting a little bored. Making traditional pretzel shapes did not interest him. Truth be told, I was not doing a good job and the shapes were definitely a little weird.

    Instead, I surprised him by shaping the pretzel dough into an 8.

    "Mommy, make a 1!"

    Success! His interest was renewed, and after helping me make several more numbers, he started to form the pretzel dough into caraway seeds.

    Child hands shaping pretzel dough into the letter A

    Finally, when all the dough was shaped, he enjoyed brushing the pretzel shapes with an egg wash and sprinkling on some salt and herbs.

    child sprinkling seeds on unbaked pretzel number and letter shapes

    Look how great they came out!

    finished pretzel number and letter shapes on drying racks

    The secret to cooking with kids? Have low expectations and cater to their interests!

    More cooking activities with kids:

    • Kitchen geometry
    • Cookie Fractions
    • 10 ways kids can help in the kitchen

    UPDATE: I've been asked several times for the recipe. I also put a recipe in the comments below, but here's one for 30 minute homemade soft pretzels.

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    « No-Prep Art Exploration Activity For Preschoolers
    Playful Preschool Geometry Activity »
    7423 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. sunnymama says

      May 18, 2009 at 4:14 pm

      What a fun and yummy activity! It was fun reading about and seeing the pictures 🙂

      Reply
    2. BranFlakes says

      May 18, 2009 at 4:32 pm

      What was your recipe? We made some a couple months ago and they were gross, so I need a good recipe.

      Reply
    3. Lisa says

      May 18, 2009 at 2:36 pm

      Love it. I have always wanted to make pretzels too, but haven't done it yet. These look delicious!

      Reply
    4. Mom and Kiddo says

      May 19, 2009 at 12:43 pm

      2 1/4 cups flour
      1 c white whole wheat flour (I used regular whole wheat)
      3/4 cups rye flour
      1 1/2 TBSP sugar or malt powder
      1 tsp salt

      1 1/4 cups water
      1 TBSP canola oil
      1 large egg yolk.

      1TBSP yeast

      This was a bread machine recipe. If you don't have a machine, I'm sure it would work if you used the knead-rise instructions from another recipe.

      Divide dough in 16 portions, shape, let rest 20 min, brush with egg white, sprinkle with salt or caraway seeds.

      Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes
      Enjoy!

      Reply
    5. Alycia in Va. says

      May 19, 2009 at 4:39 pm

      Isn't it funny how every activity turns into a learning experience. You can check off division 🙂

      Reply
    6. BranFlakes says

      May 19, 2009 at 5:21 pm

      thank you!

      Reply
    7. Allie says

      May 21, 2009 at 3:21 am

      That is awesome!

      Reply
    8. Kate says

      November 20, 2013 at 12:11 am

      Great idea to make these fun treats with a number and literacy theme! And thanks for sharing the recipe in the comments.

      Reply
    9. Carrie says

      October 12, 2018 at 8:47 am

      Great idea. I’m going to try it with my 3 year old and keep my expectations low. He loves making letters so I am hopeful.

      Reply
      • Erica says

        October 20, 2018 at 7:26 am

        Enjoy! Keeping expectations under control always results in a much more relaxed experience.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Erica! I believe parents can stay sane without giving their kids an electronic device. Learn how!

    More about me →

    Newsletter

    Join over 19,000 subscribers who said "Yes! I want to unplug my kids!" We'll send you 10 waiting games your kids can play anytime, anywhere. Join here -->

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Site
    • No AI

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and join over 19,000 other families finding ways reduce screen time.

    Other Stuff

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    Copyright © 2023 What Creative Media LLC

    Want Your Kids to Love Being Unplugged?
    Subscribe to our newsletter and as a thank you, receive 10 waiting games kids can play anytime anywhere.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want More Free Activity Ideas?
    Join our email list and as a thank you gift I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games that will make your kids smarter.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want your kids to love being unplugged?
    Join our newsletter and as a thank you, I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.