From left: Katrina and her kids Saskia and Aiden then Susie with Oliver behind and Phoenix on her lap.

As mums with four young children between us, Small Fry came about as a result of
daily tasks with our kids. We wanted to make the day and what we do a little more
fun-filled for our children and their friends. We decided that since they were so keen
to help and be involved, particularly in the kitchen, that we would relax and go
with it!

Small Fry is divided into five sections related to aspects of our daily lives: senses,
concepts, outdoors, everyday and celebrate. We focus on what your two- to five-year
olds can do with you and offer ideas and encouragement to keep them interested in
the process and the end result. It’s not all new information, simply what we have found
works for us and our families.

Some of the activities are messy—that’s just part of life with children—but it’s also
fun to watch them learn new things. And yes, our patience levels have been tested
but we’ve discovered that cooking, cleaning and shopping with young children
can be fun!

We all have good and bad days, there are times when you feel inspired and others
when you could no more cook or go shopping with your children than fly to the
moon. We hope Small Fry will provide you with a few extra ideas and concepts on
the days when you feel energised and want to have some fun with the kids. The truth
is, this is exactly the kind of book we wished had been on the market when we had
our first children!

We are so often in a hurry to get things organised and the chores finished, but if we
slow down a little (when possible) and include the children, allowing for their level of
ability in whatever we are doing, a basic chore for us becomes a fun activity for them.
We have found that the more we involve the children in what we are doing in the
kitchen, the higher the chances of them eating or drinking what we have created.
Even better, they feel like they have made a huge difference because they have
helped us accomplish something.

For us Small Fry is about being with family and friends and creating our own sense
of community. It celebrates the conversations and laughter that take place when
family and friends gather round the kitchen table preparing a delicious meal. Sharing
this experience with our children might foster a lifelong love of cooking.
We’re not experts by any means: we’re not nutritionists; early childhood specialists;
child psychologists or gourmet chefs—although some of the above have helped to
create this book—but we are mums.

We hope this book will be a companion for parents, carers, grandparents and
especially first-time mums and dads, or busy working mums who don’t have the luxury
of an extended family to pass on this tried and tested information.

Once you start, we hope you’ll realise you are only limited by your imagination and
your child’s eagerness to experiment. There really are no mistakes, just learning
experiences—for both children and adults—and we’re still learning!

We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on the book so please send them
to us at info@smallfryfun.com.

Enjoy our first offering, Small Fry.

Susie & Katrina