About the Program
Fun with Food Camp is a week-long immersive cooking experience hosted by the TMU School of Nutrition. Campers learn foundational food skills while exploring nutrition concepts in an engaging, age-appropriate way.
Key Features
- Each week offers a new theme and builds new skills, so returning campers get the most value by choosing a different week than last year.
- All three camps are great for kids who enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and want to expand their culinary knowledge.
- All programs boast a child-to-adult ratio of 3:1, ensuring that safety in the kitchen is always top of mind. The curriculum for the Fun With Food camps has been developed by graduate students in the TMU School of Nutrition under the leadership of Dr. Jessica Omand, a registered dietitian who specializes in pediatric nutrition.
From July 6–10
Perfect for beginners, this week focuses on:
- Kitchen safety and food handling
- Measuring and following recipes
- Basic knife skills (with child-appropriate tools)
- Simple baking and cooking techniques
- Introduction to Canada’s Food Guide
- Exploring global flavours
Campers will prepare snacks and lunches daily while building confidence in the kitchen.
From July 13–17
Designed for campers ready to expand their skills, this week includes:
- Advanced knife skills and “licence to chop”
- Working with dough and understanding gluten
- Leavening agents and fermentation
- Safe stovetop cooking
- Acid/base reactions in food
- Balanced meal building and macronutrients
- Team recipe creation and a “Master Chef” finale
Campers deepen their knowledge of nutrition while refining their culinary skills.
July 20–24
Our newest and most exciting addition!
This immersive week connects campers directly to food systems and sustainability. Using produce from the TMU Urban Farm, campers will:
- Visit the TMU Urban Farm
- Learn about seasonal and sustainable eating
- Harvest and prepare fresh ingredients
- Explore how food moves from soil to plate
- Reduce food waste through creative cooking
- Create dishes inspired by local produce
This week emphasizes environmental awareness, local food systems, and hands-on learning with real ingredients grown right on campus.
Which Camp is Right for my Child?
- Designed for beginners ages 8-12 who want to learn foundational cooking skills.
- Focuses on essential techniques like chopping with a plastic knife, measuring, and basic recipes.
- Ideal for children who are new to the kitchen, are selective eaters, or are looking to build confidence in food preparation.
- Perfect for children ages 8-12 with some cooking experience who want to take their skills to the next level.
- Explore advanced techniques like chopping with paring knives, independently using the oven and stovetop and creative recipe development.
Designed for kids ages 9-13 who are curious about where food comes from and want to connect cooking with nature, seasons and sustainability. Explore the full “food journey” from healthy soil and seed germination to plant anatomy and seasonal produce.
Farm to Table is ideal for children who:
- enjoy hands-on activities and cooking
- eat plant based proteins
- want to build food confidence and independence
- are excited to learn practical skills like safe knife use, stovetop cooking, mindful eating and making balanced meals.
Daily Camp Structure
Each day includes:
- Morning snack
- Nutrition lesson and interactive activity
- Preparing and cooking lunch
- Outdoor time
- Afternoon snack and food science activity
- Closing circle reflection
All ingredients, equipment, and take-home recipes are provided.