Giving children their first taste of cooking

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Published on Thursday, October 13, 2016

By Miranda Leybourne

Neepawa Banner

A program called Kids in the Kitchen is cultivating culinary passion in children, with the help of the Town of Neepawa. The program is debuting later this fall, with two separate sessions for different age groups of children.

The first session, for six to nine year-olds, is happening ion Oct. 21 from 1 – 3 p.m. at the Neepawa Area Collegiate Institute (NACI) home economics room. The youngsters who sign up will get a chance to learn how to make healthy snacks at home.

Instructor Belinda Critchlow, who used to run the classes from her home, says they’ll be making things like parfaits and fruit salads.

“I think it’s important to start teaching kids at the youngest ages...because as soon as they start doing it, it creates habits of eating and choosing healthier snacks as opposed to opening a bag off the shelf or a box,” she explains. “Those habits then form into lifelong patterns.”

Critchlow says she’ll also teach the children the importance of proper kitchen hygiene like hand washing, preventing the cross-contamination of ingredients and how to clean up after themselves safely and effectively.

The second class, happening on Nov. 18 from 1 – 3:30 p.m. and aimed at children ages 10 to 12 years old, will have a fun, festive theme. Critchlow says that the kids signed up for that class will get to make and take home three different types of Christmas baking. 

“They usually have a really good time,” she enthuses. “They sit around, chat and get to know each other...it’s just a fun thing to do when they have that day off of school.”

The first program costs $20 and the second costs $30. Spaces are limited, and registration forms can be picked up at the Neepawa Town Office.