21 June 2016
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School’s out, it’s time to kick back and enjoy life. And what could give little gourmets more pleasure than some food-related activities that promise to sneak in a lesson, or several? Here are our top picks that will keep your little ones happy and engaged, so parents can kick back too.
Hone your kitchen craft
Forget thumbprint cookies. Your kitchen prodigy deserves nothing less than a serious introduction to the culinary arts.
Campasia’s Super Chef camps are no masak-masak. Chef Tim Ong will have primary school kids whipping up chicken rice and quiche while older kids tackle soufflé and risotto. Each of his week-long camps will feature five full days of nonstop cooking and a masterclass with St Pierre’s Emmanuel Stroobant. “Commercial Cookery 101” is the hot favourite, where teenagers will pick up a host of classical European restaurant techniques from chicken butchery to choux pastry.
Tiny aspiring Pierre Hermés-in-the-making will want to check out Genius R Us’ Advanced Baking Course for primary school children, where theoretical concepts are illustrated by hands-on exercises that cleverly contrast different pastry techniques, like how eggs are handled in making sponge cake, compared to in butter cake, for instance. The three-day workshop culminates in a tasting session where parents can sample recipes developed by the kids themselves.
Harvest your own food
Head to the Kranji countryside to catch a glimpse of daily life at Singapore’s working farms. Arrive bright and early to watch the farmers milking goats and cuddling the kids (of the goat, not human, variety) at Hay Dairies. At Viknesh Dairy Farm, you can feed the cows by hand and take home a bottle of raw milk. Wander the vegetable patches at Quan Fa Organic Farm, or explore the local herbs and fruits, including over twenty varieties of banana, at Bollywood Veggies’ stunning garden-like farm. You can grab a wholesome lunch at Poison Ivy Bistro or call in advance to arrange a farm-to-table cooking experience.
Kranji too far-flung? Check out Open Farm Community at Dempsey, a compact farm-to-table establishment just minutes from the city centre. Drop by any time to chat with the full-time farmers there, or gather a group of friends to arrange an urban farming masterclass.
Mind your table manners
Is mealtime with your little gourmand more of a gore-fest? Banish boorishness once and for all with a crash course in fine dining etiquette. Image Flair Academy provides workshops and bootcamps guiding kids of all ages on fine dining etiquette and social graces. The three-hour “Macaroni and Please” workshop will impart an age-appropriate level of savoir vivre even to preschoolers. For big eaters with little patience, Etiquette and Image International’s programme has a special segment devoted to the social niceties of buffet dining.
Does your three-year old rage like Ramsay? The Molly Manners programme uses a combination of games and stories to help the youngest children understand the importance of respectful behaviour in social settings - especially, of course, the dinner table. After the class, take their newfound skills for a test drive at Lewin Terrace. Just for the next three months, the French-Japanese fine dining restaurant is offering a kid-friendly weekend menu. A great location for the little ones to strut their stuff.
Make your own tableware
Throw some clay, break a tile, and take home something to use in the kitchen! Head to Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle to throw a bowl or cup on the potter’s wheel, or build them by hand under the guidance of experienced instructors.
Handmade mosaic trivets and coasters will add colour and personality to your dinner table. At Mosaic Workshop, children as young as three years old can experience the full mosaic-making process, while Anjali Design also offers a unique opportunity to work with kiln-formed glass - perfect for fashioning gorgeous chopstick rests or napkin weights. Kids will be stoked to sit down to dinner with their personal creations.
Give back
School holidays are a great time to start reaching out to those who struggle to put food on the table, and play a part in helping to cut down on food waste.
Join the volunteers at Willing Hearts to prepare meals for lower income families and the destitute. Flex your kitchen muscles washing, peeling, and chopping vegetables to feed three thousand. Those whose cooking skills aren’t quite up to scratch yet can spend half a day packing food goodie bags for needy families with Food from the Heart or join the Food Bank Juniors club to help sort food donations at their warehouse and take part in excursions to food production and waste-sorting facilities. Secondary school children can help facilitate cooking workshops for younger kids under the YWCA’s Workz-on-Wheels programme.
