Last night, I let my 2-year-old "help" with a just-for-the-heck-of-it cake ... standing on a chair at the counter, helping crack the eggs, holding the mixer (with my hands around his), etc.
He adored it ... kept telling his father "cake!" all morning with a great degree of glee. And it was so cute. 
This, in combination with all the hysterical toddler stories circulating on the Cake Disasters forum, got me thinking about ways to involve the littlest would-be decorators in our hobby. Any thoughts or ideas? How have you encouraged little cake artists?
Obviously, I wouldn't let him "assist" with a wedding cake or anything for sale. *shudder* The mind boggles. 
My DD (4 next month) loves helping me bake, though I have to tell her no when it's for a customer! She has her own toy mixer (that actually mixes!) and a set of scales and measuring spoons, so she pretends to make her own cake too (though some of the - pretend - ingredients that she puts in are mind-boggling!)
She's starting copying me making figures now, using her playdough. The other day she made a bear and even asked me the correct position of the ears on the head! I haven't given her any fondant to play with yet as she loves the stuff and would probably just eat it all!
Kelly
For my 6 yo grandson I put coloring book pages down and cover with plastic wrap and make him cut down short bags with rubber bands on the top so they are easier for him to hold and he is a decorating dude!!!!! He decorates a cake for his mother for every occasion. I bake as I am phobic about him getting hurt by the mixer (search the forums for these posts just for an FYI for safty). Wilton has no bake cakes for kids...not the best flavor but my grandson loves to mix(with spoon) and fill the little pans and then he is off to decorate. I let him pick from my big box of royal flowers and he has done a few cute cakes for his mom. Most are still just loads of icing piled high but a couple have been purty good.
He is at my house several times a week as his mom works part time and he stays with me and the first thing he asks is are we makin cake in TX today (inside joke). Check out my screen name!!!!! He would rather make cake than go swimming. I love that we have this time together...we will never forget it.
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