Summer’s right around the corner. Time for parents to make plans to keep the little ones busy–making new friends and picking up new skills. Learning swimming and soccer are super-valuable, but don’t overlook the importance of having your kids spend a little time learning knife skills and how to prepare rhubarb compote.

More and more kids cooking camps are popping up across Ontario. Here’s a roundup of a few that caught my eye. All of these camps require registration ahead of time.

• The Stop Summer Food Camp (8-12yrs) July 9- July 13; July 16-July 20; July 23-July 27. The Stop gives kids access to their community garden and to a top-notch kitchen.  Priority is given to low income families
• Petit Chef’s Academy (7+ yrs) All summer long. Based in Maple, this camp offers the gambit of experiences from world cuisine to table manners to composting. Kids enrolled at Petit Chef also get to engage in physical activities like soccer and good ol’ A&C
• Jeanettes Cake Camp (10+ yrs) All summer long. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to go to cake camp? These camps in Oakville last a few hours per day. The week’s learning culminates into a finished project like sugar figure modelling or cookie decorating.
• Richmond Hill Culinary Arts Centre Junior Cooking Camp:(10-14yrs) All Summer long These suburban kids get an incredible experience at this week-long culinary camp that is capped off with a Parent Gala Dinner hosted by the graduating students at the end of the program
• Niagara College Cooking Camps: (7+ yrs) Niagara College offers two kids programs for different age groups. The 10+ set can learn Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner recipes while the 7+ set learns to prepare meals and snacks
• Evergreen Brick Works Locavores Food Camp (9-12yrs) The setting couldn’t be more beautiful for this kids camp that gives kids the skills they need to grow, harvest, cook, preserve and share local food.

What camps have I missed? Please add any you know of to the list and get kids cooking this summer.