Cooking B-day Party for Kids

[Anonymous]

My son (9) really wants a cooking b-day party. So far, the only places I have found are Just Cakes and Tiny Chefs. Just Cakes is really expensive and Tiny Chefs does it at your house. I prefer to have it somewhere other than my house and I know it will be expensive -- just don't want to pay $50 pp. Any ideas in Montgomery County, preferably? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Google to tjhe rescue!

This is in NW DC - close enough to MoCo - http://www.classykidscook.com/

I swear there was an article somewhere in the Washington Post recently about this type of class - cooking, sewing, etc - for kids. Anyone remember this and know where to find it?

[Anonymous]

11:47 - sounds fabulous. But it comes to $60+ per kid (and I assume that is before tax and any tip).

OP - I wish I had some suggestions.

[Anonymous]

I would post your question to the WaPo food chat on Wednesday. If the staff there doesn't know, some of the readers might.

[Anonymous]

Op here -- thanks for the suggestions. And, yes, I did google this before I posted. I didn't consider the one referenced above due to the price and the 8 kid maximum (he could have closer to 10-12. I will write the wapo on Weds -- thanks for the idea. BTW, where I used to live, Whole Foods did b-day parties that were great. I asked at the Rockville WF and they don't do them.

[Anonymous]

Chef's Academy in Rockville was a great place. Isn't is still there?

[Anonymous]

Classy Kids Cook is awesome!!! My kids did a week of camp there this summer and loved it. The staff is wonderful, the space is intimate and delightful, and the skills and recipes the teach are excellent. The even teach table manners and other etiquette lessons. I highly, highly recommend!

[Anonymous]

I did one at my house a few years ago. I moved out all the dining room chairs, covered the table in a plastic table cloth and put all the sauces in squirt bottles. I invited a lot of adults and it was much less messy than I anticipated.

I ordered kid-sized aprons on chef hats online.

[Anonymous]

I'd do it myself but I love to cook. I just noticed that California Pizza Kitchen does them.

[Anonymous]

Op again. 22:08 are you thinking of Young Chef's? That would have been perfect but it is gone. I will look into cpk. I think that's a great idea! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

No specific suggestions but just want to say I went to a birthday party like this when I was probably about your son's age--we made homemade pretzels--and it was the coolest birthday party ever. We all had a total blast. It was at the kid's house but they had a giant gourmet kitchen.

[Anonymous]

It's a schlepp for you but Amphora Bakery (they have locations in Vienna and Herndon) does fabulous parties. I've been to two, the first was preschoolers and it was just fun with frosting and cupcakes, but the one I went to with my older child involved real instruction in cake decorating. I was amazed at what the kids were able to do.

[Anonymous]

Op again. I would do it at home but I have a really small kitchen. I checked cpk's website and it looks like the kids just get a tour of the kitchen -- no actual cooking. But it otherwise looks great. But I thought of Potomac Pizza and they have make your own pizza parties so I think I will do that -- $15 pp. Much better than the $50 pp places (although they are probably amazing). Thanks again for all of the ideas.