There’s something about baking that brings a smile to people’s faces. If the cold weather has got you down, having a baking party with your kids or with a few friends may be just what you need to get in a cheery mood.

What do you need for a baking party? Start by playing fun music playing in the background can set the right atmosphere. Having cute aprons on hand (for the kids and the adults) can also add an element of fun. If you know that your participants are likely to get hungry while baking, keep snacks within reach (this will discourage people from sampling some of the ingredients like the marshmallow fluff or the frosting).

Another important factor for a successful baking party is the setup. Divide your kitchen and dining area into different stations. Have a mixing station, ingredient station (where all of your ingredients will be laid out), prep station (for rolling out cookies or filling baking pans), and cooling/decorating station.

If you need ideas for your baking party, listed below are fun recipes for cookies, whoopee pies, cupcakes, and more.

• Bake “out-of-season” treats. One of the best ways to get out of your cabin fever funk is to bake a treat that reminds you of spring or summer. So, consider making “out-of-season” cupcakes. There’s a host of delicious recipes for you to try, such as beach cupcakes, coconut lime cupcakes, and matcha cupcakes with jasmine buttercream frosting. You can also try rainbow sherbet cupcakes with strawberry shortcake, orange cream, and key lime frosting.

• Turn baking into a game. Playing games is another great way to conquer your cabin fever. You can do both at once with the painted cookie recipe. You simply bake sugar cookies into squares and top them with white royal icing. Arrange nine cookies into a three-by-thee formation and paint a large picture with very thin icing. The kids can paint a puzzle and then rearrange the pieces to make fun combinations. Are you interested? Use these pictures for inspiration.

• Taste the rainbow. The bright colors of a rainbow can boost practically anybody’s mood. For your baking party consider making funfetti whoopee pies. The recipe consists of sprinkle cookies and marshmallow fluff filling. You can find the recipe here.

• Make sweets with messages. If you’re looking for another fun project for you and the kids, try making chalkboard cookies with edible chalk. You can make these fun treats by topping delicious sugar cookies with cocoa-flavored black royal icing. You and your kids can then use edible chalk (made from white candy melts) to write messages on the cookies, just like a chalkboard. For more information check out this recipe.

• Create art with food. If you don’t have time for a full baking session, try quick food crafts instead. Is your child a budding artist who likes to make a mess? Try making your own painted chocolate bars. All you need are chocolate bars and candy melts (in assorted colors). You can eat your finished product or give them away as gifts. Here’s the instructional video.