A true 10/10 experience! My two year old had a BLAST at the one hour tots class. He was able to chop veggies, mix Rangoon filling, wash dishes and... EAT! It was a fast paced class to keep kids' interest, but everything was clear and perfectly tailored to toddlers. As a former early childhood teacher myself, I was highly impressed! I'm sad to know their brick and mortar is closing at the beginning of next month because I want to sign my son up for a thousand more classes! If you can squeeze in a class while they're still open, it's absolutely worth the money! read more

The Kids' Table - Cream cheese scallion Rangoon & sweet and sour sauce! - Cooking Schools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My brother and sister in law sweetly got me a gift certificate for classes here for my birthday. Their thought was I could use it for virtual cooking classes with my 10 year old son. I reached out initially to them via email and Kallie replied since they hadn't posted their fall schedule mid summer but she promised to email me as soon as they released. A month later she sweetly sent me an email notifying me (I was impressed she remembered!). Unfortunately being west coast based, the live class times were too early for us on weekends and my son wasn't keen on an on demand class. I wasn't too sure what to do with the gift certificate and Kallie explained that although their focus isn't on retail sales there were some items they stock and she sweetly took pictures and my gift certificate was able to cover some lovely items (including recipe cards for my son's gluten free diet). I was so impressed how Kallie went so above and beyond that if we were living in Chicago would be frequenting this spot often given their exemplary level of customer service. read more

Such a nice concept. My toddler loves to help me cook at home. It was nice having a safe option for her to "cook" at her level. We went for a drop-in class. We made broccoli guacamole during "Green Week". The chopper was safe to use as she cut the various ingredients. She loved the feeling of independence as she cut the veggies herself, cleaned her cutting board, and mixed the ingredients. Everything was done with the parent's help. One thing I do wish was different was my ability to get her into an older class. She's almost 2 but because she hasn't had a birthday (less than a week away), she was in the 18 month class. She was slightly more advanced than the rest of the babies, but thankfully she's a tiny 2yo so I was less on edge when we got there than I was in anticipation of her being too rough for the smaller babies. There are baby-friendly cooking products available for purchase. They outline the menus to come at the end of the class. read more

We've been to the Lakeview location once and the Wicker Park location now once. The locations themselves are very different, but both made for wonderful experiences. The instructors are very hands on while really letting the kids do their thing (with proper supervision). They were so patient and kind with the kids even when my daughter was acting like a total lunatic. It is drop-off so I didn't have to stay, but I enjoyed watching them chopping, so proud of their independence, and trying the dishes that they made. The dishes are creative and healthy. Gotta love any trick to sneak veggies into the meal and my kids will actually eat it. If you go for the dinner or lunch time slots, it's perfect because the portions of food are large enough that I don't have to feed them after their fun activity. Generally speaking, I usually don't frequent kid's activities that cost over $20 per kid, but when you consider it's activity plus a meal, I think it's worth the price. I was reading about their summer camp; which sounds pretty amazing! I love it here, my kids love it here and they are very allergy friendly to boot. Yay for inclusiveness! read more

We love The Kids' Table. My daughter is 3. She asks to come to The Kids' Table every single weekend without fail. She loves it. The instructor we have had (male) each time we have attended, is great with her age group! Very one on one with each of the children during the class. He explains the techniques very well. He also remembers their names which shows that he's definitely into making it a fun experience for the toddlers. I would totally recommend it. My daughter has severe allergies and they are very cautious about that. They even give the recipes after class so you can make the dishes at home. Love it. We will continue to come. read more

Not impressed. For fifty dollars my kid got to chop three things and make and eat salsa that thirty people squeezed limes into with their BARE hands. Disgusting! Note to owner: Next time split up the salsa among the four tables versus having everyone add cilantro and lime to it and pass it around. We were bored stiff and grossed out watching our neighboring table's kids wipe their nose and play on the floor then squeeze limes into our soon to be appetizer. One teacher demonstrates for twenty to thirty people. You can not see the demonstrations. Long wait time between activities therefore leaving kids bored and wanting to roam around to the kid kitchen up front and wash their hands at the sink fifty times. I suggest to the owner to add a second staff member and a bus boy instead of having one person instruct, bus, serve food, and be the host. It was a really odd experience. I was looking for more hands on activities. The chopping and making the quesadilla was the best part for the kids. Given that there were 28 people in the room at 25 dollars a pop you would think that they would have more then three staff on and serve more than blackbean/potato quesadilla and one bowl of salsa and chips. Perhaps have people make a drink in between courses like homemade lemonade with cucumber or something... Good luck. read more

My son is turning 6 and we just held his party at The Kid's Table. 5 stars! 14 kids were engaged and proud of their creations. Individual strawberry cakes from scratch (delicious), hand rolled pizza, fresh squeezed lemonade and fruit kebabs were all a hit. Angela and her team took care of every detail. The menu, cute 'chef' party hats, aprons, gift bags, coffee/cookies and a gorgeous cheese platter for grown ups. The most hassle free party we've hosted yet. Highly recommended. We'll be back for family dinner night for sure! read more

My daughter has wanted to be a pastry chef when she grows up since the age of fives. She doesn't get your typical dolls and video games as presents like most kids do, instead she get lots of baking supplies and cookbooks for her birthday. A friend of mine got her a gift certificate for The Kids' Table for her birthday, and she was definiely happy to recieve it! They send a laminated recipe sheet home with your child with recipes for the 2 or so items they made that day. We just recreated the Mac and Cheese she learned to make a few weeks ago. Yum! Great place. read more

This pat of the review comes from of my 11-year old daughter. "Amazing. If you're having trouble, the teacher will correct you in nice ways. The recipes are great - tasty and kid-friendly. I learned how to make empanadas from scratch. I learned knife skills and now I don't get scared when I use a big knife for chopping." In a nutshell - very nice instructors, vegetarian-friendly recipes (although the empanadas could easily be adapted for ground beef, they used TVP). Good location for the burgeoning kid-filled areas of Wicker Park/Bucktown/Logan Square. And all things considered, pretty cheap at $35 for a two-hour teen's cooking class (and $69 for a three-session kids class I think). They also sell a variety of cooking implements and books for the family. It's a nice addition to a neighborhood that's getting inevitably family-oriented - I know I should whine about gentrification considering I loved Wicker Park when I lived there in the late 80's/early 90's, but considering that I'm also getting increasingly gentrified I gots no room to complain. At least it's not another Starbucks, right? read more

Be careful. Kids Table is wonderful for all the reasons that other reviewers noted. My Kids took repeated classes and loved it. Then the total once in a million things happened and we saw first hand what is behind the super friendly public face. One of our children had a medical emergency and was hospitalized. We had paid for a full week of summer camp. We called to ask if we could get a refund our shift to another week and were told no. And bit just no but a super nasty "didn't you read the rules" "not our problem no." This happened about two years so but given what is happening with Covid 19 I think everyone should know that if you pay any money to Kids Table and decide to cancel for a medical reason you are not going to get it back. We lost hundreds of dollars and they just didn't care. Never even asked if our child was OK - and this is someone who they had fawned over during previous sessions. read more

Elena came here for a demonstration and workshop for my non-profit organization and she was truly spectacular! She had such a wonderful detailed touch both to the presentation and great rapport with the parents in the group. Each recipe was personally hand-crafted and you can tell to the attention to detail to each recipe. Each one was delicious and healthy which was great to serve to the whole family. This was a really worthwhile venture and thank you again to Elena for everything from the presentation, discussion, story telling/sharing, tips and recipes! read more

After several classes with the 4 year old that I nanny for, it's safe to say I'm in love with the kids table. The class is a "drop off" style so there is no need to stay but I highly encourage sticking around to watch or at least come within the last 10 minutes to capture their expressions when they taste test their creations. The recipes are full of great flavors most children aren't typically used to trying. The energetic and very kind teachers lead them through the prep work and discuss food as they go. In the end he feels proud and that's something that is totally amazing. My only reason for not giving 5 stars is that there could be a bit of improvement for the parents and caregivers waiting. I sorta feel like I'm in the way when I'm waiting in the chairs. Other than that I'm very impressed! read more

What a great experience! Fun, interactive & educational for the kids. We took our 3 yo son & his 4 yo cousin & both had a great time. They both had a great time making the recipe & it also proved to be an excellent tool for social interaction & sharing with other kids. The staff was phenomenal, super friendly & accomodating. Chef Aubrey made the class fun, educational & she connected well with the kids! read more

My six year old daughter just enjoyed a pancake class here and reported that it was super fun. The pancakes they made smelled delicious, and she was particularly pleased with the chopping device she used for the apple portion of the meal. She is asking to return.... I brought her here a couple of times as a toddler and will bring her two year old sister to the toddler class next month. I found those classes to be fun and useful for the little ones to feel comfortable helping in the kitchen. The staff is very friendly here and parking on a Wednesday was easy.... read more

The Kids Table is the best summer camp my son has been to. He raves about it every day. Everything is on point. I highly recommend it. read more

The Kids' Table - Ivan loves the kids table! Good teachers good program everyone is on point! - Cooking Schools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So happy that they have reopened and are doing birthday parties again! Recently held a kids' birthday party at The Kids' Table and they were fantastic. The facilities were set up really well with each child's cooking station separated by a clear partition and spaced out so we felt totally comfortable and safe. All activities were very organized and all the children were very engaged. The staff not only have all of the kids doing hands on cooking but they also take the time to explain all the ingredients, and educate the kids on why they are doing all of the cooking steps. I also felt like the staff really tailored their content and messaging based on the age/sophistication of the audience - they read the room really well. Since we were a small group, the staff even made extra pizza and cake for me and wrapped it up beautifully for me to take home. They also were very easy to communicate with in the preplanning process, and were flexible with me on scheduling. Highly recommend for a kids birthday party, you won't be disappointed. read more

Absolutely wonderful! I love how the tables are small for the children and they are encouraged to prepare the food independently. I love that the facility is vegetarian and sensitive to all food allergies. I love how you get a recipe for each prepared meal/snack. My only complaint is the distance.. we live in New Lenox and it's a drive for sure .. but SO worth the drive. The kitchen is clean and the staff is wonderful! Thank you :) read more

I sent my kids to The Kids Table for a week of cooking camp over Christmas break. They went 9am to 3pm Mon to Fri. I really can't say enough good things about this place, my kids really enjoyed the class it was very hands on class, they couldn't wait to go each morning! My son is/was an extremely picky eater, I decided not to mention this to the instructors I just didn't want to give it a lot of attention. Well I'm really glad I didn't because each day my son came home he talked about all the new and different foods he tried, some he liked and some he didn't but I was so excited that he even just tried the foods. Thanks Kids Table we appreciate your help! read more

My daughter had 12 kids celebrating with her for her 5th birthday, and we all had a blast - both kids and parents. The instructors were high energy and fun, they engaged the kids, from 2 - 6, really well, and the parents even had time to visit with each other, which is so rare at birthday parties of little ones. The staff was very helpful during the planning process, and they were very responsive. I also love that they had super cute goodie bags - well worth the money. Oh, and the food was great too. I wasn't expecting much for a kids' cooking school, but they really surprised me. The cake my daughters made tasted great the next day too! I highly recommend this place for birthday parties. read more

Today my husband and I took our 4 year old to make apple cinnamon pierogies. Our son loves to help me in the kitchen and help me cook. I was excited to find this place but wasn't impressed. The kids couldn't really see or hear the demonstrations very well so they didn't know how to make the pierogies. My son asked for help and the intructor acted bothered by his need for help. She also put her hand out as to swat the kids if they came to close to the food or her. Also, there was no one supervising the kids at the sink, the kid infront of my son was taking a long time playing with the sponge. I would prefer cooking with my son at home. Maybe hire some staff that actually likes kids. read more

My girls had a great time doing the Kids Night Out event. The staff were engaging and friendly while also being professional. They made pizzas, cupcakes, and exploding volcanos. Probably not as instructive for my 11yo, but the 8yo loved it! read more

The Kids' Table - Exploding volcano fun - Cooking Schools Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I used a groupon for a 4-6 year old cooking class for my nieces. The space is really nice. The kitchen is very modern and new with a space for a big table where the kids gather. They have a fun little kitchen play area where the kids entertain themselves before the classes begin. During the class, they give the little ones aprons and chef's hats. They show them how to cook a meal from scratch engaging them every step of the way. My one niece, who is particular about what she eats, tried onions and all veggies in her mac and cheese simply because she was able to prepare it and learn about it. Then they end the class eating their meal and go home with a little laminated menu. There are a variety of classes you can choose from. Make sure to make reservations a couple weeks before. It's a fun and different activity for kids-especially in the winter when the outdoors are not an option... read more

I love this idea! My daughter enjoys the feeling of accomplishment when she cooks here! She is always do excited and loves that they give you the recipe to try at home! Been wanting to try the family classes since daughter loves it here! read more

Wow! The staff was so fabulous - even with my sometimes difficult, special needs daughter; the facility was spotless and they had everything perfectly sized for little hands and helpers. My daughter participated in a 2-hour "camp" experience and they made two dishes - both delicious. A fabulous experience all around - we are already trying to plan a party to enjoy it with our friends! read more

I took the Baby Food Basics class and was thoroughly impressed!! Elena was so knowledgeable and answered my (many) questions about baby food preparation. She taught me so much about how to prepare the food, how to freeze and store it, when to introduce new foods, and, most importantly, how to combine the foods in a way that will actually taste good. The difference in taste (and nutritional value) between Elena's creations and store-bought jars is enormous! The best part - nothing she taught me was too complicated or difficult to execute. As a working mom, I really appreciate that! Elena also went above and beyond the normal call of duty. In addition to the fabulous in-class handout she provided, the day after the class, she emailed me some more detailed instructions on how to prepare different dishes...and even threw in some fun recipes for adults as well. Elena truly has a passion for what she does and is an excellent instructor. I highly recommend this course to all parents! Your baby will thank you! read more

We went to a 3rd birthday party here recently and it was so cute and fun. The instructors were great with the kids. There were about 8 kids at the party. The kids made mini pizzas, strawberry lemonade and had their own mini cakes. They took turns with some utensils and washing hands. They wore cute little aprons. They also have a small play section with a play kitchen and some other toys that my son was playing with and then going back to the activity. Parking was easy on the street on a Sunday morning. I would consider hosting a party here. I have no idea what the cost is but the kids had fun. read more

Much better this week. Each child made their own food, and less kids picking their noses. There were more adults helping the kids so there was less down time. Much improved! I have heard the birthday parties are great. read more

Definitely recommend, my son loves it. The teacher was patient and taught some nice new techniques.

This place is amazing. The staff is wonderful, the place is clean, and the the recipes are tasty! There's even a play kitchen for toddlers waiting for class to begin. Can't say enough about how great this is. My 2 year old son loves it! read more

I had a groupon and used it for my 10 year old and a friend to go to a 3 hour cooking class for 7-10 year olds. There were 8 kids total, mostly 7 year olds. 7-10 is a wide gap in age when you are talking about attention span and general behavior. The other kids were so disruptive that the teacher had to stop the class several times to maintain any order. My daughter and her friend are actually very interested in cooking and It was hard for them to really learn while there were discipline issues with other kids. It was clear that these kids were just "getting out of the house" as summer draws to a close rather than having any interest in the class. While she and her friend are quite capable of doing some "real" cooking, they were unable to as the younger kids were not. They felt it was boring and awkward and do not want to go back. I won't either. read more

Wow do I love this place. Last weekend, we had our daughter's 5th birthday there. We had no declining party goers so the party was HUGE - 22 kids between 3-5. I was positive it would be mass chaos (especially since the parents were required to drop off). Nope - it was perfect. PERFECT. The Kid's table team really kept the kids engaged and excited. They made and decorated cake, pasta sauce, lemonade and fruit kabobs. It was super organized and actually delicious! The staff was friendly and accommodating. My kiddo had an awesome day and we enjoyed watching her enjoy herself. read more

i purchased groupons to try the kids table and there hardly any classes available over the summer or filled up very early. Another $48 down the drain. If they offer these types of groupons in the future, they should make sure they have the classes available to accomodate. read more

So much fun for the little kids! We went to a birthday party here and they were very patient with the kids (3-4 year olds). My daughter surprisingly learned a lot and wanted to be a chef when we got home. read more

We had our daughter's 5th birthday here. It's perfect and easy and enjoyable. Highly recommend for parties-worth every penny.

We just had my daughter's 3rd birthday party there. What a wonderful place. The staff were extremely helpful and all 14 kids listened intently the entire two hours (granted these were all Montessori kids who are very used to food preparation, self-control and cleaning up after themselves). It was a very unique place to have a birthday party, and the rest of the parents thought so too. We loved the emphasis on healthy eating and hand-washing, and I now have a new strawberry cake recipe to enjoy in the future! read more

My daughter had a awesome time here!!!!!!! We are coming back for another class. I highly recommended them.....Great Job guys!!!!!!!!!

I had my daughter's 7th birthday party here and it was wonderful. The staff was very friendly and great with the kids. The kids had an amazing time. They kept a 8 group of 8 children entertained the whole time and they we're so happy with how their meals turned out. My daughter truly enjoyed cooking her own pizza and cake. I love that they have the children wash dishes and clean table tops. My daughter loves to cook and wash dishes so this was perfect. If your child is into helping you out in the kitchen they will enjoy this location. The food was pretty good too. I give the kids table two dumbs up! read more

This place is great with a few flaws. I took my child to the tots class, I paid via Pearachute which was 3 credits ($36). So it is an expensive 45 minute class. The space is cute and has a play kitchen for kids to play with if you arrive early. The chef/ instructor was friendly and engaging with the kids and I was happy at how much participation the kids did. However, the end product (pasta salad), each kid was given a tiny amount (maybe 1/4 cup) with the pesto sauce that they made. This was a tiny portion of food, my child is only 2 and he could eat 2-3x that amount. What made it worst was that there was a significant amount of pasta leftover and the instructor asked if anyone wasn't using their tomatoes to add it to this extra bowl of pasta. So I thought that she was making an extra bowl to portion out another round. Well, I was wrong. She ended up eating it. Wtf. If this was an adult class, and you ended up making a tiny portion and then the chef goes ahead and eats triple the amount of you have, I think you would be kind of upset for what you paid. read more

the concept is great but they do not allow the children to do enough baking themselves. for the 4-6 year old class, children are able to measure ingredients they are able to pour the batter into the small baking pans, and they are able to drizzle the sauce over the cakes. when asked if they could pour the drizzle over the cake the comment was well they are going to eat it. very disappointed to see that the teacher does most of the work. i took my grand daughter to classes when she was 2 years old -i could see the teacher doing more then. i don't believe the teacher has the understanding that 4-6 years can do more. read more

We recently had my son's 3rd birthday party here, and it was so much fun! The kids ranged from age 2-5 and the class was catered perfectly to their ages and well-paced so they were engaged at all times. First they got to decorate and make chef hats. They rolled out pizza dough and made fruit art (which they also go to snack on) while the helpers finished rolling and arranging the dough for baking. The kids then topped them. While, the pizzas baked, they squeezed lemons for lemonade and helped the teacher add just the right amount of water and sugar. By then the pizza was ready to eat. Lastly they decorated the pre-baked strawberry cakes with chocolate frosting and fresh strawberries. The adults got to help the kids and sample the food while waiting. I also loved that there was so much attention to hand hygiene and prep area cleanliness! The party went very smoothly, was well-organized, and the kids had a blast. Would highly recommend this for a fun, out-of-the-ordinary kid's party. I was very impressed and so glad we chose to do it!! read more