Best Cooking Classes for Kids in Montreal
Teaching Kids to Cook Is One of the Best Gifts
Getting kids into the kitchen early builds confidence, teaches math and science through measuring and chemistry, and creates a lifelong skill. Montreal has some excellent cooking programs designed specifically for young chefs. Here are our top picks.
Les Petits Chefs
Les Petits Chefs in NDG is dedicated entirely to kids' cooking classes. Founded by a former elementary school teacher turned pastry chef, the approach is educational and fun. Classes run by age group: Little Cooks (4-6), Junior Chefs (7-10), and Teen Kitchen (11-15).
Sessions typically run 90 minutes and cost $35-45 per child. Kids make a complete dish from start to finish and take it home. Past classes include homemade pasta, sushi rolls, French pastries, and seasonal cookie decorating. They also run popular birthday party cooking packages where each guest makes their own pizza or cupcakes.
Best for: Younger kids who need a patient, structured environment.
La Guilde Culinaire
La Guilde Culinaire in the Mile End is a professional cooking school that runs parent-child workshops on weekends. You and your child work side-by-side following a chef's instructions to create a multi-course meal that you eat together at the end.
Workshops run about 2.5 hours and cost $85-110 per parent-child duo. Past themes include Italian comfort food, Japanese bento boxes, and Québécois sugar shack classics. The professional kitchen setup makes kids feel like real chefs. Book early — these workshops sell out weeks in advance, especially around the holidays.
Best for: Parent-child bonding. Ages 8+ recommended.
Ateliers et Saveurs
Ateliers et Saveurs in Old Montreal and Laval offers family cooking workshops in a beautiful, well-equipped kitchen space. Their "Family Kitchen" series runs monthly with themes like "Around the World" (each family member cooks a dish from a different country) and "Sweet Treats" (pastry and dessert focused).
Prices range from $60-80 per person. The Old Montreal location is particularly charming and makes the experience feel special. They accommodate food allergies with advance notice. Their summer cooking camps for kids run weekly in July and August.
Best for: Families who want a polished, special-occasion experience.
Free and Low-Cost Options
Not every cooking lesson needs to cost money:
- IGA Cooking School runs free Saturday morning workshops for kids at select locations — check iga.net for schedules
- Local community centres (Maisons de la culture) often run affordable cooking workshops during school breaks
- YouTube channels like Tasty Junior and Cooking with Kids offer free guided recipes you can follow at home
Tips for Cooking with Kids
- Match tasks to age — toddlers can wash vegetables, school-age kids can measure and mix, teens can use knives with supervision
- Expect a mess — part of the learning process
- Let them choose the recipe — kids are more invested when they pick what to make
- Focus on the process, not the product — a lumpy cookie still tastes great
Browse education programs in Montreal on FamiliQC.
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