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Kids can cook! Classes in NYC to help them whip up gourmet eats

More and more kids are getting in the kitchen - here's how!
More and more kids are getting in the kitchen – here’s how! Photo Credit: Bryan Smith

Kids are making their way into the kitchen. And not as peanut butter and jelly connoisseurs or as the picky eater police: as cooks.

With the premiere of the second seasono of “MasterChef Junior” on Tuesday, Nov. 5, it’s now clearer than ever that little hands and little mouths are capable of major cooking.

Sure, handling sharp objects and fire is a bit more dangerous than puzzle and playdough, but with the right training, kids with a little patience, coordination and an adventerous palate can learn to cook even better than some adults. Yeah, we know  you ordered Seamless before watching the kids cooking competition re-runs.

Teach little ones to cook with these classes in NYC!

 

Kid’s Kitchen at Eataly

Every month, Eataly opens La Scuola for two-hour Italian cooking classes catering towards mini Mario Batalis. The $55 class teaches kids 8-12 years old how to make pasta from scratch — and of course the cooks get to enjoy their work! Very hands on and involving few potentially dangerous tools (knives), pasta is a great and fun way to introduce kids to the kitchen or help home cooks expand their repertoire. 

200 Fifth Ave., 212-229-2560 

 

Tastebuds Kitchen

This kid’s cooking center offers everything from classes to workshops, camps and cooking birthday parties! Kids can enroll in semester-long classes, including one on food from around the world and another formatted in the style of cooking show challenges. Classes are available for kids 2-13 and adult workshops are also offered. Semesters start at $320 for 8 weeks, with individual sessions — like cupcakes– at $35.  

109 W. 27th St., 212-242-2248 

 

Dough Re Me Kids

This DUMBO cooking school teaches small groups of kids, ages 3-14 to cook with organic ingredients. Semester-long classes work with sesonal ingredients to create recipes and menus based on greenmarket availability. Hour-long classes over 14 weeks cost $520. Workshops, like Thanksgiving foods and holiday cooking are also held. 

70 Washington St., Brooklyn, 718-237-2504

 

Bowery Culinary Center

Located in Whole Foods, this cooking school teaches one-time classes to kids ready to get in the kitchen. Session are available for ages 2-5, 6-9 and 10-13 focusing on seasonal ingredients and recipes that can easily be re-created at home. Classes are $20 and last 60-90 minutes. 

95 E. Houston St., 212-420-1320

 

Crave.it

This Italian bakery and café hosts kids classes on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. inside their glass-walled kitchen. Chef Alejandro Quinones, who trained at bakeries in Italy, gives kids a behind-the-scenes look at a working bakery kitchen, followed by creating and designing smiley face gelato and assembling a baked amignon. Parents enjoy complimentary coffee while they lounge in the café while their kids make them treats. Reservations can be made in advance; the class costs $35.

545 Sixth Ave., 212-255-4048

 

92Y’s Kids in the Kitchen

This series of classes is taylored for the younger set, 2-6 year olds, working with parents or grandparents to learn basic kitchen skills (mixing, tasting) with family.

1395 Lexington Ave., 212-415-5500

 

Allergic to Salad

This cooking school offers classes for kids who want to go beyond lettuce and ranch. Classes work to develop basic kitchen skills including kitchen safety, knife technique, measuring, an appreciation of kitchen tools and techniques. Classes are held all over the city for children of all ages, with or without parents. All classes are nut-free and many are vegetarian and gluten-free. Best of all, many of the lessons are also free!

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