We all know that teaching kids the joys of cooking early leads to better health. But not all of us have an inner-Martha Stewart in us to show kids just how to do it. There’s a new culinary school in town that embraces farm-to-table, all while making cooking fun for the littles. Read on for our dishy scoop!
photo: Sprouts Cooking Club
Serious foodie roots
Sprouts Cooking Club originated in San Francisco, and its founder Karen Rogers studied under Alice Waters, the guru of using local ingredients and making healthy food that actually tastes great. Through her work with Waters, and other work with British celebrity chef Jaime Oliver, Rodgers created Sprouts Cooking Club, where kids can learn to cook — and love it along the way.
Move over Goldfish, there’s a better post-school snack in town
Sprouts is offering after-school classes that take place at your child’s school. Your child doesn’t have to be a mini Wolfgang Puck to enjoy the classes. With all skill levels welcome, this is a great way to introduce your child to healthy habits in a fun way. Working with both private and public schools, the Sprouts team can create a program in 8 week sessions. If there’s no formal kitchen space at the school, the Sprouts team can work with school administrators to create a safe cooking environment that can be adjusted to fit any school’s classroom space. The goal is to get more students cooking hands-on with local, seasonal ingredients with an emphasis on healthy, simple, and delicious food. Offered for elementary, middle, and high school students, the 90 minute classes include a teacher, ingredients and tools needed for the class. The base price is $27.50 per child, per class, but prices can be flexible depending on the school’s needs.
A Culinary Option during School Breaks
Sprouts is offering youth cooking classes this Winter and through their summer camp offerings they are working on a 3-day Winter Cooking Camp that will take place at the end of December during students’ Winter Break. But this isn’t your standard cook-and-eat operation. Through Sprouts Cooking Club students are taught by guest chefs from some of the most popular restaurants in town. (think Union Square Cafe, Luke’s Lobster, to name a few). With blindfolded palate play and camper cook-offs, this isn’t your standard cooking camp. All cooking camps take place in restaurant kitchens throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.
photo: Sprouts Cooking Club
The Deets of Camp
Geared towards kids age 7-13, the camps are from 11am-5pm, with pre-camp programs running from 9am-11am. At Pre-camp, kids explore some of the culinary highlights of the city, including visits to farmer’s markets, bakeries, community gardens, and cookbook stores.
You can sign up for the Winter Camp option by the day. Summer Camp 2018 will run Monday through Friday during the last three weeks of July (July 9th – 27th). While they are still working on their line up of chefs for next summer, we did get a sneak peek of some of their partners which include Mini Melanie, A&E Supply Co., and Harlem Grown.
Each 5-day camp week costs $590, and because Sprouts Cooking Club has a mission to ensure that all kids have the chance to cook alongside the city’s best chefs there are full and partial scholarship options to the camps.
We suggest you join their mailing list to be the first to know about their newest culinary adventures, including Winter Camp schedules and news about their new restaurant partners.
photo: Sprouts Cooking Club
But Camps aren’t the only Thing Cooking…
If there’s no formal kitchen space, the Sprouts team can work with school administrators to create a safe cooking environment that can be adjusted to fit any school’s classroom space. The goal is to get more students cooking hands-on with local, seasonal ingredients with an emphasis on healthy, simple, and delicious food. These 90-minute After-School classes are offered for elementary, middle, and high school students. And because all skill levels are welcome, this is a great way to introduce your child to healthy habits in a fun way.
photo: Sprouts Cooking Club
Yes, they do Birthday Parties, Right at Home
Each party package uses recipes and themes based off of Sprouts Cooking Clubs’ favorite chef and restaurant partners, including Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver. Party package start at $400 and include all ingredients, a group of Sprouts team members to lead the class, and kitchen clean-up.
Sprouts Cooking Club
814-853-2804
Online: sproutscookingclub.org/
Do you have a favorite cooking class for kids in NYC? Tell us about it in the comments!
— Kim Sunshine
