Kid-Run Taco Night

What you need

• Tortillas, 6 to 8
• Canned black beans, 1 can
• Shredded cheese, 1 cup, grated from a block
• Soft veggies (peppers, cucumber), 1 head lettuce, 1 avocado, 2 tomatoes, 1 onion
• Salt, 1 pinch
• Lime, 1
• Colander, 1
• Fork, 1
• Box grater, 1
• Bowl, 8 to 10 small
• Plate or tray, 1 to grate onto, plus 1 per person
• Knife, 1, for the grown-up
• Cutting board, 1
• Pan, 1
• Napkins, 1 per person
• Can opener, 1 (optional)

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Be ready to chop the onion and tomatoes and to warm the beans and tortillas on the stove. Everything else is kid-run.

1. Plan your taco bar and pick the toppings.
   Ask: Which toppings do you think everyone will pile on first?
2. Set out your bowls in a row.
3. Rinse the black beans in a colander.
4. Add a pinch of salt and mash the beans with a fork.
5. Grate the cheese into a bowl.
6. Tear the lettuce into small pieces.
7. Mash the avocado with lime juice.
   Ask: What do you think the lime will do to the taste?
8. A grown-up chops the onion and tomatoes. A grown-up does this
9. A grown-up heats the pan over medium heat, then warms the beans and tortillas. A grown-up does this
10. Set the table and line up your taco bar.
11. Call everyone to dinner and show off your bar! What taco will you build first?
    Ask: Which taco will you build first, and what will you try next time?

Play it again

• Theme night: pick a new filling like cheesy rice or roasted veggies and build a bar around it.
• Menu maker: draw a restaurant menu and take orders from the family.
• Mystery topping: each chef adds one secret topping for others to guess.