Teaching kids to cook goes beyond just having them stir a pot of soup or spaghetti sauce. Cooking teaches them motor skills such as handling a knife while chopping or slicing, math skills when they measure or weigh ingredients, and listening skills. They also learn the nutritional value of the foods they prepare.

Having kids help in the kitchen and then make their own meals can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating and help create amazing memories for the whole family. Check out these in-person and virtual cooking classes and schools that kids can attend in the Woodbridge, Virginia, area.

Cookology

“Close-up of a child’s hand brushing pastry with eggs” licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Flickr by shixart1985

Cookology cooking class, either in-person or online, teaches kids the joy of cooking and improves their listening skills. All physical cooking classes are held in Cookology’s safe commercial kitchen and are taught by professional chefs.

Sign up your youngsters for the numerous afternoon workshops or morning cooking camps so they can learn how to properly cook vegetables, make pasta and sauces, and create delectable desserts. Morning camps run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and are more basic and fun than the afternoon classes. Afternoon workshops start at 1:30 p.m. and end at 4:30 p.m. and are a bit more advanced than the morning classes. In these advanced classes, kids learn how to bake, prepare whole meals, create ethnic dishes, and make intricate sauces.

Classes could be on the importance of using herbs and spices, bread baking, food preservation, plating skills, and culinary science and taste analysis.

Additional classes include mommy/daddy/grandparent/caregiver, family fun, siblings, classes specifically for kids 5 to 7, 8 to 11, 12 to 18, and 16-year-olds who wish to take adult classes. Students can also sign up for allergies and substitutes classes as well as knife skills workshops. And for a fun birthday party idea, bring the kids and their friends to Cookology, where the whole team can make appetizers, entrees, and desserts. 

The hands-on kids cooking classes are held at Balston Quarter at 4238 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington and at Dulles Town Center at 21100 Dulles Town Circle in Sterling.

Tiny Chefs

Sign your kids up at Tiny Chefs for interactive kids cooking classes, workshops, and camps. This school has you covered whether you want private in-home cooking classes, on-demand virtual classes, or group Zoom kids cooking workshops.

Tiny Chefs’ programs deliver the ultimate experience, combining education and recreation. For instance, you can have your kids celebrate a special event by inviting their friends over and together taking a private, customized cooking class. During this personalized class, they can make cupcakes or even prepare Thai food from scratch — as long as they have fun, everyone is a winner. 

One of the best parts about in-home hands-on cooking workshops is that the team at Tiny Chefs brings all the supplies and even handles the clean-up afterward so everyone can just have fun creating tasty and nutritious meals.

These fun parties start with the little ones choosing a theme for the party. Then, when a Tiny Chefs associate arrives with all the supplies, the kids get to decorate their own chef’s hat. The instructor will then help them prepare the menu, and when the food is ready, the kids get to sit down together and enjoy their creations.

Some kids prefer virtual learning and can join in for online classes where the student can cook in their own kitchen along with the virtual instructor. Cooking classes include creative cupcakes, international desserts, American picnic ideas, and cooking around the world. Additional cooking enrichment virtual classes explore family meals, after-school snacks, and cupcake wars. Online summer camp classes include pizza making, brunch for lunch, Asian fusion, and taco creations.

Young Chefs Academy

Based in Richmond, Virginia, Young Chefs Academy offers hands-on cooking classes for kids and teenagers. Kids can join in on weekly classes that are based on a monthly theme. Each week builds in the complexity of the theme so that the young chef can master intricate dishes and meals.

If the student becomes a member of the Young Chefs Academy, they’ll receive discounts on classes, camps, and workshops. In addition, as a member, students can enroll in the MasterChef’s Program either as a JuniorChef (age seven and up) or as a Senior Chef, based on skill level. Kids ages four to six can enroll in the KInderCooks Star Program, where they can earn badges and patches in recognition for their cooking achievements.

The kids can immerse themselves in the cooking experience by attending one of the Young Chefs Academy’s Culinary Camp. These multi-day camps are filled with fun experiences that allow the student to build new culinary skills and techniques. All of the classes are taught by professional chefs that teach in a fun and interactive manner so the child can absorb the information easily. Offerings at the camp include the art of cooking and the science of baking, challenging cooking competitions, exciting cooking tips, and tricks, and recipes that the kids will enjoy preparing as well as eating.

A fabulous way to celebrate a birthday or other special event is to book a cooking party at Young Chefs Academy. Simply pick the theme the kids are interested in such as the fiesta, pasta, pizza, brunch, or baking party. And the guests just have to show up and the staff will supply everything needed for this fun event. Table settings, party invitations, drinks, recipe cards, and aprons are provided. Optional items include paper chefs hats, party favors, a special happy birthday apron, and cupcake decorating items. 

Young Chefs Academy is located at 2230 John Rolfe Parkway in Richmond, Virginia.All of us at Creme de la Creme of Woodbridge (Port Potamic), Virginia, hope that you and your kids enjoyed taking cooking classes. Which school was your favorite? What dish was their favorite to prepare? Did the kids do better with in-person learning or with virtual classes? If you have any recommendations for other local kids’ cooking classes, feel free to drop us a line and we’ll add it to our list.