Cooking classes for children this summer: Homemade tacos, Asian fusion and more

Restaurants in Abu Dhabi and Dubai offer everything from one-off sessions to week-long courses

Cooking classes keep children entertained as well as honing fine motor skills. Photo: Pexels

If your children are done bouncing at the trampoline park, have bickered for hours over the PlayStation, are bored of the pool and can’t face another round of Monopoly, it’s time to let them get creative in the kitchen with these cooking classes they’ll love.

Mamalu Kitchen, Dubai

Mamalu Kitchen founder Lama Jamal with her children. Photo: Uschi Irani

The Mini Chef cooking classes at this Nakheel Mall cooking school are geared towards teaching children culinary skills as they create the foods they love. Already this summer, little ones have created pasta from scratch to whip up creamy chicken and mushroom alfredo rolls, cooked mini pizza muffins and tried their hand at Italian chocolate cream buns. Summer camp runs throughout July and August, with a mix of sweet and savoury dishes. The team also run Mini Chef – Snack Heroes classes, in which children can learn to make bites such as mini pulled chicken tacos with homemade taco shells from scratch.

Summer camp: Monday-Friday; 10am-12.30pm; Dh1,000 per person per week inclusive of ingredients; Mini Chef – Snack Heroes: days vary; 4pm-5.30pm; Dh200 per person; Nakheel Mall, Palm Jumeirah Dubai; 052 747 9512

Ecole Ducasse Abu Dhabi Studio

Ecole Ducasse in Abu Dhabi has cooking classes for children-only as well as parents and children together. Photo: Ecole Ducasse

Children are invited to embark on a culinary journey with classes tailored for different age groups. The Summer Beginner Kids Camp is for children aged six to 10 to build their confidence in the kitchen while making an array of colourful and creative dishes with new recipes each week. The Summer Advanced Kids Camp, for older children from 11 to 17, offers the chance to try more complex dishes from savoury to pastry. There is also the option of the 4 Hands Pastry Session for parents and children, aged six to 12, to come together and create something delicious.

Summer Beginner Kids Camp and Summer Advanced Kids Camp: June 30 to August 21; 1.30pm-3.30pm; Dh1,050 per person; 4 Hands Pastry Session: July 25 and August 2; 2pm-4pm; Dh630 for two; Cultural Foundation, Al Hosn; 052 663 7689

Scafa, Dubai

Scafa trains children to both cook and clean up. Getty Images

Open to children aged seven to 14, summer camp at the School of Culinary and Finishing Arts focuses on teaching young ones the basics so they can use their skills at home. The course teaches the foundations of cooking, baking, pastry and world cuisines including Mexican, Asian and Italian, along with kitchen safety, best use of equipment and – parents rejoice! – how to effectively clean up afterwards. Sessions focus on breakfasts, cold and warm desserts, main courses and starters. Classes are available to buy in packages of one, five, 10 or 15 sessions.

Daily throughout July and August; 2.30pm-5.30pm; between Dh290 (one class) and Dh3,480 (15 classes); Cluster I, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai; 052 110 0232

Top Chef Cooking Studio, Dubai

The studio caters to young children and teens via its Kids Cooking Camp and Teens Cooking Camp this summer. From Monday to Friday, little ones aged six to 12 can don an apron and get stuck into making dishes such as dynamite shrimp, breaded seabass, vegetarian empanadas and mini pizzas. They also get to create inventive soft drinks, as well as desserts such as lemon cheesecake, cake pops, mango sticky rice and strawberry tart.

Teens aged 13 to 16 are invited to stretch their skills further by whipping up dishes such as three-cheese souffle, beef tenderloin with peppercorn sauce and chicken and mushroom vol-au-vents.

Kids Cooking Camp: Monday to Friday; 10am-1pm, Dh250 per session; Teens Cooking Camp: days vary; 2.30pm-5pm; Dh300 per session; Villa 196, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai; 04 385 5781

Wagamama, various locations across the UAE

Children can eat what they cook as well as taking home any leftovers. Photo: Wagamama

Children aged three to 11 not only get to create some of the dishes the Asian fusion chain is famous for – think gyoza and katsu chicken curry – but also get to take home a home chef apron after a hard hour or so in the kitchen. All about “fun, flavour, and getting hands-on”, the sessions invite children to dive into a range of spices and ingredients to cook up their dinner themselves (and take home any leftovers).

Dates, timings and prices vary; Mirdif City Centre, Palm Jumeirah, Motorcity and City Walk in Dubai; Abu Dhabi Mall, Reem Mall and Khalifa City in Abu Dhabi

Shvili, Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Cooking sessions aside, little ones can also head to the indoor play area. Photo: Shvili Dubai

The Georgian restaurant with outposts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai runs Kids Masterclass cooking classes throughout the summer and beyond. The hour-long sessions for children aged four and above lets little ones try their hand at a spot of culinary creativity while mum and dad dine at the restaurant.

What they make is dependent on the time of day and location of the restaurant, but this summer children have been making Caesar salad, Georgian penovani cheese bread with puff pastry, Georgian cherry pie and jallab, the popular Middle Eastern drink made from date molasses, grape molasses and rose water.

Daily; timings vary; free but pre-booking required; Dubai Festival City (052 220 0868), Dubai Hills Mall (052 929 2088), Nakheel Mall, Dubai (058 512 6795); The Galleria Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi (052 438 3880), Marina Moon Tower, Abu Dhabi (058 562 5251)