tips for icing with a 2.5 year old?

[nuttybananas]

So we are making some christmas biscuits. My first attempt with icing sugar, water and hundreds & thousands was carnage - I'm still finding those little damn balls everywhere!
Any tips on what to do when a clumsy fingered 2.5 year old really wants to be involved or am i asking too much?
Also if you have any ideas that are vaguely christmassy then that would be great!

You're asking too much.

Or pop the biscuits in a deep tray and have the sprinkles in little bowls so they can only pour a certain amount at a time.

don't is my tip. I shudder baking with DS2 and he is 5. Thankfully DS1 is 9 and now happily bakes alone. I just keep out of the way

or melt some chocolate, put that on biscuit and give them limited sprinkles (on a tray as Believeitornot suggested), or chocolate buttons/smarties are bigger for decorating with and easier to pick up.

Remember, baking at this age is just 'messy play' you can sometimes eat - it's not about the final product, but the fun the toddler has.

We tend to do 'festive rocky road' - your standard rocky road but using dried cranberries rather than other dried fruit, Sainsburys do some that are soaked in orange juice so make the chocolate taste like a chocolate orange (which makes me think of christmas anyway!). Put on some gold or silver sugar at the end to make it seem more festive. (give your toddler a big bowl withthe melted chocolate in it, but put out all the other stuff in little plastic bowls TV chef style to stop them emptying the entire packet of mini-marshmellows in it).

Muffins are good for baking with little ones, again, we're going to have a go at cranberry and orange flavoured ones this week.

I let DS go wild with the little tubes of writing icing
Very sticky but slightly less messy than sprinkles

Thanks all - some great ideas... might try a few of these in the coming weeks

Don't.

If you must then give them their own biscuits, icing and decorations on a tray to contain the mess. Then you can get on with nicely decorating your own biscuits while they get creative. Mine were always much happier doing it independently.

Writing icing, absolutely. No contest.

I used to make cupcakes with DD when she was this age. When it came to the icing I would pipe buttercream icing on and then give her a selection of jelly sweets, silver balls (bigger things she could pick up with her fingers) and writing icing.

Still not classically beautiful but edible at least!