National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day Fun for You and Your Little One

Whether you bake them from scratch or pick them up from your favorite bakery, National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day on August 4 is the perfect excuse to enjoy a sweet treat with your preschooler! 

In 1937, by happy accident, Ruth Graves Wakefield of Boston’s Toll House Inn invented the very first chocolate chip cookie. During World War II, these irresistible treats found their way into care packages for U.S. soldiers, bringing a little taste of home to the front lines. 

Today, the chocolate chip cookie holds the crown as America’s all-time favorite. Check out our list of fun, family-friendly cookie recipes and sweet spots in Denver below to enjoy on National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day or anytime. Plus, explore easy, hands-on ways to learn and grow together in the kitchen with your preschooler!

Baking Up Fun: Easy Ways to Get Your Preschooler Involved in the Kitchen

Getting your child involved in the kitchen is a fun and meaningful way to introduce early math concepts, explore patterns, and encourage them to try new foods. To keep kids engaged, start with simple recipes that use just a few ingredients and easy steps. 

Hands-on tasks like mixing and measuring dry ingredients are great confidence builders and help your child feel like an important part of the process. Other tasks like stirring ingredients or pouring from one bowl to another are great for boosting your child’s fine motor skills. 

Following a written recipe also helps build letter and word recognition and encourages following directions. Look for kid-friendly recipes with step-by-step images so your child can follow along, even if they aren’t reading yet. Check out this illustrated Tollhouse Cookie recipe 或者这个 illustrated chocolate chip cookie recipe from Instructables. 

And don’t worry about the mess! Spills and flour-covered fingers are part of the fun. Use cleanup time as a way to teach teamwork and independence.

Easy Chocolate Chip Recipes to Try with Your Preschooler

A simple Google search will bring up a variety of chocolate chip cookie recipes. If you’re looking for something simple or a new twist on the traditional ingredients, check out these fun recipes to try with your little learner on National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day: 

• 5-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies: This easy, five-ingredient cookie recipe from All Recipes is perfect for little hands,and chances are, you already have everything you need in your kitchen! Measuring ingredients is a fun way to introduce early math skills, and your child will love getting a little messy along the way. Best of all? There’s no need to chill the dough, so you can go from mixing to tasting in no time!
• Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Cookies: Cookies for breakfast? Yes please! Your preschooler will love starting the day with one (or two!) of these chocolate chip banana bread cookies from Happy Kids Kitchen. Made with whole grains and easy to adapt for egg-free or gluten-free diets, they’re a nutritious treat the whole family can enjoy. Bonus: they come together in just one bowl,so cleanup is quick and easy!

Family-Favorite Bakeries in Denver

If you’d rather skip the baking and head straight to the treats, Denver is full of incredible bakeries offering all kinds of delicious cookies and other goodies. Here are a few of our favorite local spots:

• Maggie and Molly’s Bakery: This charming neighborhood bakery in Congress Park offers a little bit of everything – from cupcakes and custom cakes to dessert bars and, of course, classic cookies. Don’t miss their signature chocolate chip cookie cake, which can be customized for birthdays, celebrations, or just because!
• Queen City Cookie Cult: This beloved bakery believes cookies are made for any moment – and we couldn’t agree more! Queen City Cookie Cult offers a creative lineup of one-of-a-kind flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter Potato Chip, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Snickerdoodle, and the whimsical Unicorn Marshmallow. Browse their full selection and order online – plus, you’ll get a free cookie with your first order!
• The Cookie Company: Known for their delicious cookie creations, the Cookie Company in Aurora was featured in 5280 Magazine – and for good reason! Their menu includes a variety of fun flavors like Lemon Oatmeal, Macadamia Nut, and Red Velvet. They also offer bite-sized cookies, cookie cakes, and customizable gift baskets.

Looking for additional tips and family-friendly activities to try with your preschooler? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, The Family Dispatch, to stay in the know on upcoming local events and at-home activities for the whole family. You can also find important enrollment information and resources to support your child’s growth.