A wonderland of culinary adventures, Zürich has plenty of room to teach children how to whip up delish meals and snacks.
Zürich is a great place for young people to relax, recharge, and thrive. But it isn’t just for them to soak up the marvelous smells and beautiful sights. It’s also for them to feast on the sumptuous dishes being offered here—and even make some themselves and their loved ones!
If you want to awaken the inner chef in your son and daughter at an early age, here are 7 of the city’s best, most fun-filled cooking and baking classes for kids:
#1- Hiltl Academy
Established in 1898, the Hiltl Academy (Hiltl Akademie in German) is the culinary school of what the Guinness World Records lists as Planet Earth’s oldest, longest-running vegetarian restaurant.
Located in the Kreis 1 district of the historical Old Town (Altstadt Zürich), the school offers cooking events and interactive culinary experiences for individuals and groups, including families with kids. Its “Children’s Cooking Class,” designed for budding chefs aged six to thirteen, lets participants prepare a scrumptious vegetarian menu.
At the start of the session, your child will be provided welcome juice and a chef’s jacket. When the class is finished, the kids get to share the meal they have prepared. Each will bring home a certificate of completion and a set of recipes from the school’s very own Globi Kocht Vegi (“Globi Cooks Vegi”) book.
#2- Sherly’s Kitchen
Although founded only in 2016, Sherly’s Kitchen has been taking locals and visitors by storm with its offering: sweet and savory cooking experiences with a generous sprinkling of cultural insights.
The establishment is so popular, it’s a recipient of a Switzerland Tourism recommendation, a Lonely Planet “Top Pick” distinction, and three TripAdvisor Excellence Awards.
Sherly’s Kitchen holds in-person Swiss and Asian cooking and baking classes at its location in Kreis 2. Your teenage child can join. Founder and instructor Sherly Cho also gives interactive online lessons to individuals, couples, and groups, and you can book your entire family a place in the virtual classroom.
#3- V-ZUG
V-ZUG is a maker of home appliances that’s been trusted by households around the country and the world since the mid-twentieth century.
The company has an academy that conducts cookery courses in German, including classes for emerging superheroes in the kitchen. Kids six years old and above can join an afternoon of fun, which involves whipping up healthy and yummy meals using state-of-the-art appliances. There’s also a class that’s specially designed for teenagers.
As a participant, your child will receive an apron and a recipe booklet, among other goodies, plus a “chef’s certificate” upon completing the course. V-ZUG has several locations across the country, and the one in Zürich is in the Kreis 5 district of Industriequartier.
#4- Mülerama
Opened in 1986, Mülerama is a museum that tells the story of Switzerland’s milling industry. It features a fascinating mill, which has been producing flour since 1913.
The institution has a baking and cooking school that holds classes for visitors aged six and above. The courses vary—from making German pretzels, Italian ravioli, or Japanese ramen noodles to creating vegan legume cakes—but the most popular learning activity is baking bread. Here, you and your child can learn how to grind flour and then make some of those braided loaves that are the charmingly styled staff of Zürich life.
Mühlerama is located in the Kreis 8 district of Riesbach, and it’s open Tuesdays through Sundays. The museum and baking school are both available for birthday parties.
#5- La Cuisine
La Cuisine is a cooking and baking school for people who love to prepare delectable fare and enjoy it with others. It draws on the owner Peter Bechter’s passion for creating gastronomic wonders, as well as his years of experience as a chef of first-class hotels in Switzerland and abroad.
There’s a variety of courses to choose from, and some involve making pasta, cooking in a wok, preparing sous-vide food, and fixing tapas for buffets. Cuisine themes include Ayurvedic, Creole, and Mediterranean.
The lessons for kids who are eight years old and above are meant to train kitchen masters early in life. Conducted usually in the afternoon at the La Cuisine location in Kreise 10, all classes culminate in a fine meal. Special group lessons may be arranged for occasions like your little one’s birthday party.
#6- Little Hands
Little Hands is an activity studio and learning playground that welcomes youngsters with open arms. The founder and manager, Jane Lloyd, is a qualified and highly experienced primary school teacher and early-years educator, who has worked with children in many parts of Switzerland and the world.
During school breaks, there are holiday cooking and baking camps here to keep kids in and around Greater Zürich busy. Your son or daughter will enjoy making friends and making a merry mess in the kitchen, all while preparing rocket dogs, pies, cupcakes, cookies, or other snacks for themselves and their families.
The cooking and baking camps happen at the Little Hands premises in Wädenswil. These usually last a full day but can run for a whole week, depending on the package that parents choose for their munchkins. The activity may include a field trip to a local food manufacturer.
#7- Lindt Home of Chocolate
The Lindt Home of Chocolate isn’t technically a school for cooking and baking enthusiasts, but it offers courses that celebrate one of Zürich’s icons: chocolate! Inaugurated in 2020, this happy place runs tours that are sprinkled with fun facts and anecdotes about chocolate. It also provides interactive experiences for the young and the young at heart.
Walk-in courses include molding cacao-based figures and lollipops, creating truffles and pralines, and decorating chocolate bars. The classes conclude with luscious souvenirs. There’s also an opportunity for visitors to have their photo taken by the chocolate fountain, which is said to be the biggest of its kind on the planet.
Located in Kilchberg, Lindt Home of Chocolate opens its doors to families like yours all year round (except on certain days).
Delicious Takeaway
Registering children for cooking, baking, or food-preparation courses isn’t just about having them relish a day’s worth of playfully making a mess in the kitchen. It’s also about gifting them with a skill that lasts a lifetime: for their survival, nourishment, personal growth, and social development.
So, when you get the chance, enroll your precious little ones in a kiddie culinary class. Sooner or later, they will be proudly serving you their gastronomic masterpieces and exclaiming, “En Guete!,” which is what the Swiss say when they wish you a great meal.
