As if the Fourth of July isn't already festive enough, here are five recipes that even the littlest cooks can help make. Each dish gets high marks in two key areas, cuteness and simplicity, which gives everyone enough time to enjoy his or her fine work when it's done.

Berry Trifle: Layers of berries, cake and cream — any dessert with such an easy-to-follow recipe is one all kid-friendly kitchens should have on hand.

Starry Cheese, Tomatoes and Crackers (pictured above): With the help of a star-shaped cutter, transform an average afternoon snack into one with a patriotic punch.

Watermelon Granita: Scrape, freeze and repeat. Follow these simple instructions for making your own granita at home, something any little helper can handle with ease.

Patriotic Potato Salad: While dessert often steals the show, don’t count the sides out. This three-colored potato dish has the allure of blue potatoes. Now, what kid wouldn't be impressed by that?

Tomato and Watermelon Salad: Nothing tastes more like summer than juicy watermelon. Bigger kids can help dice the melon while smaller chefs can easily get involved by adding ingredients along the way.