Mashing ingredients into a squishy mess is too playful to feel like hard work in the kitchen—and who doesn’t love creamy mashed potatoes or cinnamon-scented banana bread fresh from the oven? Even the youngest kids will enjoy helping out in the kitchen whenever you’ve got something that needs to be squished, smashed, or smushed. Try out some of the recipes below together if you find yourself looking for ways to do the mash with your kids!

Special Tools
Although most mashing is done with a fork or masher, you’ll get even fluffier potatoes and smoother purees with a food mill or potato ricer.

1. Mash with your hands
Some kids love getting their hands dirty, some hate it, but for a real mash-fest, banana bread is hard to beat. Why bother mashing with a fork when you can get right in there and feel (and hear!) the ripe bananas squishing through your fingers? Try substituting half of the flour with whole wheat and making mini muffins instead of a loaf to save time and add an extra health boost.

Recipe to try: Banana Bread

2. Make sure everything’s all mashed together
Avocado green guacamole is a great base to see whether you’re mashing properly. If you make the recipe below (leaving out the jalapeno for sensitive younger palates), you can add in a scoop of plain yogurt or sour cream so the kids can see whether or not they’ve gotten the whole bowl mashed together—the white will disappear when everything’s all mixed together! This is a great recipe to practice mashing with a fork.

Recipe to try: Taqueria Guacamole

3. Mashing to just the right texture
Some like ‘em lumpy, some like ‘em super smooth. Mashed potatoes, one of the ultimate comfort foods, are only perfect if made just how you like them. Show your kids one of the most important benefits of cooking—having control over the final dish so that it always turns out just the way you want it. They can help you with a food mill or potato ricer for extra-smooth mash or let them try their hand at the potato masher; just make sure the potatoes are cooked nice and soft first. Most kids will also be happy to help out with the grating (with some parental supervision) if they know they’ll get some cheesy mash in the end. Now you just have to decide—skin on or skin off?

Recipe to try: Mashed Potatoes

4. Sweet mashes
Mashing’s not just for potatoes—there are loads of fruit desserts you can make that begin with a smush. Applesauce can be mashed or pureed, depending on how smooth you like it. You can experiment together with that classic kid’s snack by adding in berries or other fruit such as peaches or pears while you’re cooking for a more colorful smash. The recipe below for vanilla custard with mashed raspberries also illustrates one of the easiest ways to make a quick fruit sauce—mashing fruit with a little sugar.

Recipes to try: Vanilla Custard with Mashed Raspberries and Applesauce

Next month we’ll learn how to make fun shapes with our food!