The seven children taking the Mini Bakers course at the Aldergrove Community Centre are sure to be future foodies. 

Mini Bakers was a new program to see if there was interest in a cooking course for kids ages three to five. 

Stephany Laya brought her four-year-old, Olivia, who has already expressed an interest in the cooking, even trying to help mom at home. 

鈥淪he tries it, but she make more mess there,鈥� Stephany chuckled. 

Recreation worker Emily Parsons planned the course and teaches it each Tuesday over several weeks. On week one, they learned to make mini apple pies. Still to come on the menu: sugar cookie decorating, banana pudding, M&M cookies, cinnamon and sugar bread bites, and more. 

On April 22, the seven mini bakers worked in teams of three or four to make mini banana muffins. Parsons said the menu is based on what she can teach them to make within one hour. Lessons start with handwashing and a review of ingredients and explanations. Then it was time to mash bananas, scoop flour, measure baking powder, add vanilla and milk, and stir. Parsons handles the more grown-up skills 鈥� cutting open packages, food slicing, and anything involving the oven. 

While the muffins baked in the oven, the kids did colouring. Yes, fingers were licked and a few found their way to the odd nostril, but the kids were engaged in the task at hand and they all went home with half a dozen mini muffins. 

The program has given them ideas. These first Mini Bakers all have things they would like to learn to cook.

鈥� Marcelo Abrantes, 3: a cookie. Chocolate chip 

鈥� Blake Abney, 4: Mini Egg cookies 

鈥� Max Williams, 4: cookies. Chocolate chip 

鈥� Jovan Sandhu, 4: chocolate chip cookies 

鈥� Xavier Nguyen, 4: blueberry heart cookies 

鈥� Caleb Nguyen, 4: apple muffins 

鈥� Olivia Laya, 4: a cake, and cookies, and ice cream 

The Township also has cooking programs for older children (seven to 12 and nine to 12) at other sites, such as W.C. Blair Recreation Centre and the Walnut Grove Community Centre. 

Providing basic kitchen skills has extra benefits. According to the charity Canadian Feed the Children, kids learn valuable skills, but also tend to be healthier eaters, are less picky about food, have better self esteem with the acquisition of life skills, and have shown better financial literacy.