Nae and Maprang welcomed their youngest participants to the Traidhos Cooking Academy this week, as a Family Camp from Shanghai joined them to learn about making the Thai snack Khao Tom Mad or Sticky rice and banana steamed in banana leaves. Working with their parents, the young campers carefully selected their ingredients and wrapped them into neat parcels before steaming and later enjoying with freshly made Cha Ta-Krai (lemongrass tea.).

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) identifies many benefits in cooking with pre-schoolers. These include:

Helping children to develop fine motor skills through cutting, pouring and scooping ingredients
• Helping children to develop the concept of sequencing as they follow the steps of a process several times
• Helping children to try different tastes and textures and develop a healthy understanding of food

Traidhos Cooking Academy and Traidhos Camp echo the opinion of NAEYC when it states,”We believe that children learn best through play and when they are able to fully engage all of their senses. The textures, smells, and tastes from the various ingredients provide an unmatched organic experience with an ability to enthrall, entice, and spur a sense of wonder in the children’s eyes. As educators, we foster each child’s independence and encourage the exploration of culinary creations, igniting a sense of accomplishment which provides an insatiable desire to push boundaries while we work together to create tantalizing results. Let’s eat!”