We decided to try something new today, and LET ME TELL YOU!!! Our experience at Young Chefs Academy far exceeded my expectations! Okay... so in our family, we already spend a LOT of time in the kitchen most weeks, so what was my 10-year-old really going to do that was actually new?
In a nutshell, everything!! Jasmine loved her class and learned many culinary skills, all the while socializing with the other kids her age. She grated cheese, used a mortar and pestle to make garlic paste / pesto sauce from scratch, participated in each step of making homemade pasta -- from flour mixing to rolling to shaping to boiling, and picked up new kitchen terminology during her totally hands-on, immersive class.
The instructors were knowledgeable, kind, and extremely engaging with the kids, and it was clear to see that the kids were walking away with TRUE chef skills. It was soooo much more than just following a recipe! Even more special, the young chefs didn’t know exactly what they were making before class began. That way, there are no mental blocks; they just went into class with an open mind and got to work!
Before class was over, they played a quick “review” game (with a red buzzer to push and all that fanciness!), which I thought was a genius way to encourage the kids to focus and pay attention in class!
Oh, I almost forgot.. They even planted their own mini herb garden to take home, which was an awesome bonus! And of course, class ended with each child getting a sampling of the food, and then they invited the parents in for a taste too. Five stars all around!
The kitchens at Young Chefs Academy have glass walls so you can see your child the whole time (plus I popped into the room to get a few pics to share with you)!
YCA offers classes for ages 4 to 17 as well as some pretty amazing summer camp experiences for your little ones. The owners, Chris and Elizabeth McKelvey, have built a true community of young chefs - with challenge kitchen events, special workshops, a network of professional guest chefs, and more.
I urge you to try this out for your kids!! (P.S. They do birthday parties too! Yay!). Young Chefs Academy is located at 2520 Research Forest Dr in The Woodlands. Visit them online at https://thewoodlandstx.youngchefsacademy.com.
