Since 2018, Kristin DeBoard has been hosting monthly Jr. Chef cooking classes to teach kids in town about healthy eating and cooking. On October 26, she’ll be teaching kids to make their own mozzarella cheese for Halloween.
Teaching Kids to Play With Their Food
Because of the precise nature of cheesemaking, this class will also have an element of science. “It’s cheesemaking, but like a STEM class, too!” Kristin says. “The science aspect is in play because there are precise measurements and reactions when you make cheese. But really, it’s an excuse to play with our food.”
Trying New Things
When she plans each Jr. Chef class, Kristin tries to pick foods that the kids might not have tried or made themselves. “It’s just something that they can do that they don’t normally get to do at home.” In the past, she’s taught kids to make everything from pizza to a King Cake for Mardi Gras, so cheesemaking was a natural next step.
The Jr. Chef classes are a way to show kids how food can connect to other things. “We’re just trying to figure out how to show kids that food incorporates into other areas of life,” Kristin says.
There are limited spots remaining in the Jr. Chef Spooky Science class. To register your child for the event and learn more, visit their Facebook page. To learn more about the Jr. Chef program and the classes they’ve hosted, visit here.