How to holiday at home

What the kids can do: Get children snipping herbs with scissors, scrubbing mussels and peeling prawns.

What you can talk about: Paella is served all across Spain, but it originally comes from Valencia on the south-east coast. There are many variations on the basic recipe, but most are made with rice and either seafood or meat, although mixed versions are also popular.

With its origin in Valencia, the first paella is believed to have been cooked by local farmers. They would use whatever food they had available from the land such as rice, onions, tomatoes, beans and even snails!

Now try more Spanish recipes and vegan and vegetarian tapas dishes for a Spanish-inspired feast.

France - steak haché with pommes frites & Béarnaise sauce

What the kids can do: Children can mix and shape the patties, tip the chips into cold water and drain them.

What you can talk about: Steak haché is a version of burger and chips, minus the bun. It's often served rare in restarants in France, so if you'd prefer it cooked through, ask for it 'fait bien cuit'. Pommes frites are skinny chips and usually fried, however, here they're baked, so children can help to cook them. If your kids like creamy sauces, encourage them to try the classic Béarnaise, flavoured with the beef juices and tarragon.

Discover more French recipes, French bread recipes and French onion soup recipes.

Greece - chicken gyros

What the kids can do: Little ones can mix, knead and divide the dough for the pitta breads and make the tzatziki.

What you can talk about: Gyro is a popular fast food choice in Greece. Skewers of marinated meat are cooked over an open fire, and it can be lamb, pork or chicken. It's normally served with tomatoes, red onion and tzatziki (chopped cucumber mixed with Greek yogurt, garlic, mint and lemon juice). In some tavernas they serve chips inside the pitta bread, too.

Next try our Greek-style recipes, Greek salad recipes, vegetarian Greek recipes and Greek yogurt recipes.

Italy – pizza margherita

What the kids can do: even little hands can make light work of this pizza margherita in four easy steps. Kids can knead and roll out the dough, and of course decorate the pizza with cheese and their favourite toppings.

What you can talk about: the history of pizza in Italy can be traced back to Naples in the 18th century. The classic margherita pizza takes its name from Queen Margherita, who tried the pizza and named it after herself in the late 19th century. At this time, it was typically a cheap food for the working classes to eat, as it is made of basic ingredients. Now, that's not so much the case.

Discover more Italian recipes, vegetarian Italian recipes, healthy Italian recipes and Italian pasta recipes.

Portugal – pastel de nata

What the kids can do: kids can help roll out the puff pastry – this recipe uses shop-bought to make it even easier. Although custard can be a bit fiddly, with our easy recipe and your watchful eye, they can have a go at that, too.

What you can talk about: the classic Portuguese treat first appeared in the 18th century, when monks made the tarts to use up leftover egg yolks. Egg whites were used to starch nuns' habits, so rather than letting the leftover yolks go to waste, they were transformed into custard for the delicious dessert we know and love today.

Next, try more Portuguese recipes.

Tunisia – shakshuka

What the kids can do: the beauty of this dish is that it can be easily adapted to whatever ingredients you have on hand. Although it won't be as authentic, kids can get creative by adding pesto, curry powder or fresh herbs.

What you can talk about: the origin of this North African dish is somewhat contested; it's believed to have first been made in Tunisia, as the word 'shakshuka' comes from the Tunisian word meaning 'all mixed up' or 'shaken up'. It's now a popular brunch or lunch dish across North Africa and the Middle East, with each country putting its own spin on it.

Now, try our North African chicken tagine and discover even more shakshuka recipes.

US – hot dogs with street cart onions

What the kids can do: depending how old they are, you can do all of the cooking and let them assemble the hot dogs, or they can try caramelising the onions and cooking the frankfurters with your help.

What you can talk about: it's believed that the first hot dog stand appeared in the 19th century, when the first Coney Island hot dog stand was started by Charles Feltman. The frankfurter, originally from Germany, was brought to the US through immigration.

Get inspired by more American recipes, including fluffy American pancake recipes. Discover more hot dog topping ideas.

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• Top tips for cooking with kids
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• The best soup recipes for kids

Have you tried one of our recipes with your kids? We'd love to hear how you found them below...