Prep School is our after-school cooking series designed to help kids ages 5–12 become confident, capable cooks. This small-group, skills-based program focuses on real kitchen skills that children can use at home. It’s not just following a recipe, it’s all the things you need to know to follow it!

Across each session, children build their skills step-by-step, moving from foundational techniques to more independent cooking. Kids learn the why behind what they're doing, practice new techniques with guidance from our instructors, and get plenty of opportunities to try, make mistakes, ask questions, and try again.

Prep School classes are intentionally small so instructors can meet children where they are. Whether your child is brand new to the kitchen or already loves to cook, we tailor support and challenges to their individual skill level so everyone has an opportunity to grow.

Prep School is recommended for children ages 5-12.

2026-2027 Prep School Schedule

Each class meets for 60 minutes. Participants attend the same class each week. If you need to miss a class, you're welcome to make it up during the other Prep School session, as space allows.

Prep School is offered:

• Tuesdays: 4:30-5:30pm or 6:00-7:00pm

We follow a school year calendar and meet the following dates for the 2026-2027 School Year:

• Fall 2026: 10-week class series runs from the week of September 13 through week of November 29, 2026. Please note that Happy Place will be closed for two scheduled breaks during the semester, and no classes will be held during the week of October 25 or the week of November 29.

• Winter 2027: 10-week class series runs from the week of January 10 through week of March 14, 2027.

• Spring 2027: 8-week class series runs from the week of March 28 through week of May 16, 2027.

Participants are encouraged to enroll in the full series to experience the greatest growth and skill development, though drop-in registration is also available. Families are welcome to register for one, two, or all three series, and there is no requirement to complete an earlier session before joining a later one.

What Will Your Child Learn?

Throughout the school year, Prep School students will have exposure to all of the following learning opportunities. In a single eight or ten week session, students will have be exposed to at a least 3-4 of these learning points!

• Kitchen Safety & Responsibility: Safety is a major part of Prep School. Before kids can become confident cooks, they need to understand how to safely work in a kitchen. Throughout the program, children learn and practice things like proper handwashing and basic food safety habits, safe use of kitchen tools, how to work around and what to consider when cooking with heat sources like stovetops, oven, hot pans, etc, and what to do if something goes wrong in the kitchen.

• Mixing & Measuring: Accurately measuring dry and liquid ingredients, understanding which measuring tools to use and why, practicing different types of mixing and understanding why they are different, beginning to understand how ingredients work together.

• Food Prep Skills: Teaching students to safely use kitchen tools appropriate for their age and skill level is central to our Prep School Program. Included in this is practice cutting, cutting, chopping, slicing, and other age-appropriate food-preparation techniques.

• Cooking with Heat: Children will learn how heat changes food while practicing safe techniques for working with stovetops, griddles, hot water, and other heat sources. They'll build hands-on experience with techniques like sautéing, simmering, and baking while learning to safely handle hot food and recognize when it’s properly cooked.

• Following Recipes & Kitchen Problem-Solving: Children will learn to follow recipes from start to finish, gather ingredients and tools, organize their workspace, and confidently follow multi-step directions with increasing independence. They’ll also develop kitchen problem-solving skills by learning to ask questions, make adjustments, and find solutions when things don’t go as planned.

• Kitchen Cleanup & Responsibility: Students learn to take responsibility for their kitchen space from setup through cleanup.

All are welcome!

Prep School is open to students of all abilities and we are a provider through the Children’s Long Term Support (CLTS) Waiver Program. Please reach out to us at hello@happyplacecookingspace to learn how to apply your CLTS benefit to the Prep School program.