Kids cooking up a laugh at neighborhood camp

Camper Elena Perkins stated, “We get to bake and draw what we made and it’s just surely amusing.”
She’s a camper at Camp Cupcake at Gulf Coast State College.
Stephen Withall, the Instructional Coordinator for Culinary and Hospitality at Gulf Coast State College, said, “We’re teaching them basics of how to wash your hands, a few simple kitchen sciences, safety in a kitchen, and a way to make food from scratch.”
They’ve made such things as monkey bread and cupcakes.
“We speak approximately how the egg works and rising and, we make that from scratch–give them all forms of sprinkles and options for toppings,” said Withall.
On the menu Thursday… Pizza!
For some of the kids, this camp comes at the heels of what is been a difficult year.
“This gives them a little bit of reprieve from what they must face and in particular all through the summer season whilst they’re now not in faculty, you already know, they don’t have the opportunity to maybe go such a lot of places plus there are numerous extracurricular sports missing,” stated Withall.
Aside from bringing domestic scrumptious memories Chef Steve, because the kids name him, hopes to ship them home with life training.
Withall said, “Ultimately, we want them to leave with a good effect of ‘I can do this. I can make meals from substances and devour it and it makes me feel exact.'”
He’s teaching the kids they could have their cupcake and eat it too.1. Let them participate. Don’t make them just sit there and watch while you do all the work and explain it step-by-step. They’ll feel like they’re being lectured, plus the easiest way for young kids to learn how to do something is by trying it out firsthand. If they’re reluctant to take part, you might have to take a page out of Tom Sawyer’s book. It’s not to say that cooking isn’t actually a lot of fun, but if you verbalize it and tell the kids how much fun it is to knead dough or mix batter, they’re more inclined to want to try it out.
2. Help them dress the part. Kids love playing pretend, and costumes and props are a big part of that. Lots of places sell kids chef costumes, so get a little chef’s hat and apron. You could also get separate play cooking utensils for them to use so they can play kitchen on their own.
3. Involve them in cooking something they’ll actually want to eat. Kids have pretty simple palates, and typically want nothing to do with anything too fancy (or veggie-based). Make sure that what they’re helping out with is a dish they’ll enjoy — if they know they’re making something good they’ll be more devoted to getting it right.
4. Don’t give them jobs that will be too difficult for them. When cooking with children, it’s important to find a balance of importance and difficulty in the jobs you assign them. You want to make sure they feel like they’re helping out in a significant way, but not doing something that’s too hard for them. Luckily, a young child will probably be so busy focusing on getting things right that he or she won’t notice if the task is menial.
5. Take pictures, or even a video, or them cooking. Pictures and home-movies are a great way to remind kids of how much fun they had doing something. If they see images of themselves having fun cooking, it’ll inspire them to keep cooking.
6. Don’t worry about messes. Cooking with children is bound to get messy, and it’s best to just let them do their thing and worry about it after. Don’t let them throw around flour just for kicks, but if they accidentally spill or drop something, don’t make a big deal about it. Tell them not to either, and assure them they’re doing a great job.
7. Encourage them to offer the food they’ve cooked or helped the cook to friends and family. Kids, as a rule, can be very sensitive and insecure, and generally, love to be praised. Help boost their confidence and encourage them to keep cooking by telling them to share their creations.