Cupcakes- toddler decorating activity

So, the other day Ranger Dragged me to the kitchen and demanded eggs.

This child does not eat eggs. Fried, scrambled, hard boiled, soft boiled, hidden as quiche...will not eat them. So you can imagine how confused I was. I opened the fridge and he grabbed the eggs. After I swiftly took possession of the egg carton, Ranger stood by and loudly pointed at the slot reserved for the step latter that also serves as his helper's step. (pointing when done by a toddler can be very loud and insistent).

Then it dawned on me. My little guy wanted to play chef.

A quick look in the pantry showed me only one viable choice- cupcakes.

Ranger loves cracking the eggs and this boxed mix called for THREE!

He also helped count the cupcake liners as I poured in the mix. I ran out of big liners so we moved on to the little ones.

His attention span being limited, I packed up the results and put them in the fridge.

The next day I sorted though my supplies to figure out exactly what to do with all these cupcakes. I found a box of frosting mix and my frosting spat. A little colored sugar and I would have not only a tasty treat but also something for my budding chef to help with. I think Ranger had fun helping to decorate, and even the messy looking ones taste great.

(Photos below)

Some tips if you want to try this at home:
Cool or chilled cupcakes work really well.
Stiff frosting that has been liberally applied and allowed to harden a little will be more forgiving when the cupcake is forcibly smooshed into the colored sugar.
Keep the color options to darker colors (leave yellow in the box) and pick no more than three- otherwise the mess escalates.
This is a messy activity, so pick an area where the mess can be contained.