My grandsons helped me make cupcakes for our mini-celebration in Mac's honor last week. The fun led me to consider why such a simple — and often messy — activity can be such a great one for grandparents to enjoy with their grandchildren.

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Baking provides a perfect opportunity for kids to express creativity: what foods and flavors to bake, decorations to add, people with whom they want to share the treats and how. (Especially great when baking treats as gifts for Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays and more.)

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Lessons on safety (food prep as well as equipment handling) during the process feels like fun not lectures.

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Reading recipes helps youngsters improve basic skills: reading, sequencing, sorting and recognizing numbers — fractions, in particular.

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Kids are more likely to eat food they've helped prepare. Starting with baking sweets and treats makes it more likely kids will help prepare — and eat — veggies and less kid-friendly fare.

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Baking together is fun for combined age groups and all ages. Even toddlers can help measure, pour and stir.

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Imperfect results lead to practicing patience and problem-solving skills together. For instance, what to do when an egg hits the floor or when ingredients poured into the bowl miss the bowl.

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It's a perfect time to pass down favorite family stories right along with favorite family recipes.

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Kids love to lick the bowl. And the beaters, too!

Today's question:

What did you most recently bake — solo or with pint-sized assistants?