I’m very proud to be launching Splat Cooking’s (@splatcooking) new toddler cooking club cookery classes. The Splat Cooking team have put so much work into planning these new classes they promise to be educational, enjoyable, fun and inspirational for toddlers as well as their parents or carers.
When my children were little there were a number of toddler classes that I just couldn’t cope with, the ones that left me feeling like I needed to take myself out and have myself shot as I was so desperately bored. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being at home with my children when they were little, my favourite age was between 6 months and 2 years, when they’re discovering the world and you are honoured to experience that with them. Toddlers are amazingly good company, every new experience and discovery is unique and wonderful but some classes are just downright boring, and if I was bored stupid and dreaded having to go back, then how did my child feel?
Some classes were brilliant, I thoroughly loved them and looked forward to going every week so did my children.
Things about toddler classes i couldn’t bear: puppets (omg I hate puppets, why can’t the people running the class just talk to the children like normal human beings), singing daft songs when it isn’t a singing or musical class – why? Oh why? I have the most awful singing voice that can clear a room in seconds, so I totally hated being told to ‘sing up’ – seriously? You want all the other Mums to run for the hills?
Class leaders talking down the children in silly voices – when you laugh you get told off (or evicted, been there, done that), it’s just too funny when the toddlers are looking at the lady and asking if there is something wrong with her voice for her to talk like that.
So the Splat Cooking toddler cookery classes have none of this. The focus is on food and cooking, each session is linked to a story book, such as The Magic Porridge Pot (Oaty lollies), The Gruffalo (mice bread rolls), Pizza Kittens (pizza) and each session begins with a story, then the children put aprons on, wash hands and make the recipe of the week with the help from their parents/carers. Once the goodies are cooking there are related activities and colouring sheets to do as well as tasting ingredients and talking about the texture and flavour, it may be mango – dried, fresh, tinned, juice or bread – identifying different breads and trying different breads made with different grains.
They have this amazing lady who is qualified in sign language and is starting the classes off with a few words of signing to help the children who’s speech isn’t that great, I think this is such a great idea.
The classes launch on Thursday 3 May at Ballinger War Memorial Hall in Ballinger Common near Great Missenden, the classes last from 9.30-11am – as these are new they’re hoping for lots of feedback from the initial parents as it’s early days and they want to make sure that the classes are brilliant so initially 90 mins but they may reduce the time depending on how the first few run, better to finish early than over run. The classes are bookable termly in advance – they need to know how many children at each week to buy ingredients and food to taste and budget for aprons and recipe folders and utensils.
I’ll be there for the first couple to launch them then the amazing ladies at Splat Cooking will take over with their wealth of experience. So if you have a toddler and want to have a go at cooking, book now, before the spaces fill up.