Author: Carolyn Negley, RD

Some of my favorite memories of my childhood include baking and cooking in the kitchen with my nana. I was so impressed by how she never measured a single ingredient, yet everything tasted delicious. And I realized later, once I knew about money, that she was always very cost-conscious with her grocery shopping and how she ran her kitchen. Bones and produce scraps don’t go in the garbage — they go straight into a pot for broth.

So many life skills are learned in the kitchen — counting, following directions, teamwork, science, budgeting both time and money, problem-solving, creativity, and more! This is why Second Harvest is passionate about providing kids with the opportunity to build confidence in the kitchen.

When kids are connected to the food they eat, they’re suddenly a lot more interested in trying new foods. Foods that might seem scary are now exciting! Kids have fun learning about all the cool things healthy food can help their bodies do. They get to build that all-important responsibility muscle that may just translate to more help with chores at home. They get to feel proud — they have tangible (and delicious) evidence that their hard work paid off and now they get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

We’re excited to host two great kids cooking camps this summer in The Kitchen at Second Harvest. First, we’ll go around the world and explore cuisines from Argentina, Greece, Germany, and Thailand. Learn more and register here.

Our second camp is all about baking! We’ll cover all the basics — pies, cakes, cookies, and bread. In both camps, kids will gain hands-on cooking experience and express their creativity while learning new culinary skills. Cooking is science, but it’s also art! We’ll talk about nutrition while we have fun cooking, too. Our camps are designed for ages 8-12.

In August, get ready to go back to school with our Back-to-School Lunches Family Cooking Class. We’ll focus on making fun AND nutritious lunches that kids can help make (or make on their own!). Click here to register.

Kids and families always get to eat what they make in class and go home with a cookbook that includes all the recipes they learn in The Kitchen at Second Harvest. Registration fees for the camps and August family cooking class help provide free community classes for neighbors facing hunger.

Visit secondharvestkitchen.org to register for cooking camps and classes, discover free recipes and learn about volunteer opportunities.