PlanJam!From your screen to the scene

Mama’s little baby loves shortening bread. Cooking and baking are skills that have been passed down since the beginning of time, from coq au vin in a fine French kitchen, to roasted meat in a caveman’s den. If cooking alludes you, or you simply want some outside culinary enrichment, visit Apron Strings with your children.

Apron Strings was founded in 2001 by a CIA graduate-turned-restaurant-chef-turned-private-chef who wanted to combine her love for cooking with her love for teaching. The professed mission of Apron Strings is to “provide fun, creative and challenging culinary programs to children and adults.” Embracing the philosophy that cooking is a lifelong skill “that can ignite everyone’s creativity and creative memories that will last forever,” these simultaneously informative and low-key cooking classes teach through demonstrations and hand-son construction. Students will learn fundamental cooking techniques, baking and pastry skills, nutritious eating habits, and etiquette.

Apron Strings offers a buffet of children classes, as well as adult classes for singles and couples. Such upcoming classes include Japanese cooking for children, pies and tarts for adults, and Gluten Free Easy Snacks and Treats for both children and adults. Because cooking is a universal language, these cooking classes can be a wonderful way to bring your family together by successfully creating something you all can enjoy. Children will benefit from watching their parents sit and learn and follow directions like accessible, real human beings—even (maybe especially) if their dish doesn’t turn out exactly as planned. For a large family, or family event, private cooking classes can be geared to the family’s individual preference.

Apron Strings also offers such programs as Culinary Camp. Students will learn basic cooking skills and methods. With each day reflecting a theme (such as Japanese, Greek, Indian, Italian, ballpark, comfort), students will learn a wide array of menus including soup, salad, bread, entrée, and dessert. Because the class is open to children over 10 years old, the students will get to interact in a true tangible learning experience. Very tangible: students get to eat what they cook in the class. The fee is $65 per week per child ($75 for adults), a very modest amount since it includes cost for equipment and food.

The venue is even open for birthday events—a great way for kids to have fun with their friends. Parties are available for children as young as four years old. The party runs around two hours and costs $350 for 10 children or less (with a cost of $20 per additional person, the party being able to accommodate up to 20 children). Try out Apron Strings as a family. Who knows what fun you’ll cook up—and maybe you’ll be asking your children what’s for dinner, for a change.