Meet Ankie
WHY I CREATED WOODEN SPOON KIDS COOKING CLUB
Cooking has been part of the UK school curriculum for many years, in both primary and secondary schools. I was privileged to teach during the Jamie Oliver school food movement, when cooking lessons were championed and school meals were transformed.
When I returned to South Africa, I realised this simply isn’t the case in our school curriculum. More than ten years later, very little has changed. Most South African children still aren’t formally taught to cook – yet we expect them to feed themselves well as adults. That’s why I created The Wooden Spoon Kids Online Cooking Club. With over 20 years of teaching experience, recipe testing, and child-friendly instruction, I help children learn real cooking skills, build confidence, and develop a healthy relationship with food -through guided video lessons and live online classes in a fun, supportive community.
Wooden Spoon Kids is South Africa’s first online cooking club for children, designed to teach practical life skills that last far beyond the kitchen.
HOW IT WORKS
STEP 1: JOIN OUR COOKING CLUB
Live zoom classes and membership site giving you access to a library of easy family friendly recipes. With step by step videos.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN YOUR MEMBERSHIP
- Weekly live Zoom cooking lessons led by Ankie (qualified Home Economics teacher with 20+ years’ experience)
- Access to our WhatsApp group
- Access to our Cooking Club membership site
- A growing recipe library of family-friendly, child-tested recipes
- Clear step-by-step video instructions so children can follow along independently
No overwhelm. No guessing. Just practical cooking skills taught in a calm, encouraging way.
STEP 2: BUILD YOUR RECIPE FOLDER
A key part of our Cooking Club is helping children keep their recipes organised and easy to use.
Each child builds their own Wooden Spoon Kids recipe folder, keeping all their favourite recipes in one place as their skills grow.
HOW IT WORKS
- Download and print recipes from the membership site
- Add new recipes shared weekly in our members-only WhatsApp group
- Or choose our printed recipe packs for extra durability
Our recipe folders include section dividers to organise recipes into categories, helping children cook more independently and with confidence
STEP 3: BE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY
Take your child’s cooking journey to the next level with our Kitchen Starter Kit & Membership Bundle
These extras are designed to make cooking fun, practical, and empowering, while helping teens feel like confident young chefs.
YOUR STARTER KIT CAN INCLUDE
- Wooden Spoon Kids Apron
- Collect Wooden Spoon Skill Badges by mastering key cooking skills and techniques.
- Tote bag – stylish, fun and practical for recipes, ingredients, or shopping
- Kitchen equipment bundle – durable OXO tools I use every day. When you have the right equipment, everyday kitchen tasks becomes easy
Being part of the Cooking Club isn’t just about cooking — it’s about community, connection, and confidence.
RESULT:COOK & CONNECT
Being part of our Cooking Club isn’t just about following recipes — it’s about learning, sharing, and having fun with friends and family in the kitchen.
WHY FAMILIES LOVE OUR COOKING CLUB?
- Build confidence – your child gains independence and pride in what they create
- Families eat together – share meals, try new ingredients, and delicious recipes
- One night off for Mom (or Dad!) – kids take the lead in the kitchen
- Be part of a community – swap tips, celebrate creations, and connect with other foodies.
- Access anytime – can’t make a live class? Catch up with recordings in our members-only library
- Life skills for the future – organisation, creativity, and confidence that goes far beyond the kitchen
HERE’S WHAT OUR COOKING CLUB MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES
- Weekly Live Cooking Classes with Ankie –Cook along, ask questions, learn new techniques. Special guests.(Recorded if you can’t make it live).
- Locked in price for the first 50 Founding Members
- Access to the library of past classes and recipes
- Our Supportive WhatsApp Community (Share your proud kitchen moments on our WhatsApp group, ask questions. (I love it when you ask questions) make friends who love food as much as you do.
- Member Perks: 10% off all Cooking Club Starter Kits
ONLINE HUB MEMBERSHIP
Pay monthly. Cancel anytime.
- Access to our Cooking Club membership site
- A growing recipe library of family-friendly, child-tested recipes
- Clear step-by-step video instructions so children can follow along independently
- Work through curriculum in your own time
COOKING CLUB MEMBERSHIP
Pay monthly, cancel anytime
- Weekly live Zoom cooking lessons
- Exclusive WhatsApp Group
- Access to our Cooking Club membership site
- A growing recipe library of family-friendly, child-tested recipes
- Clear step-by-step video instructions so children can follow along independently
12-Month Membership
Billed R3600 Annually
- Weekly live Zoom cooking lessons
- Exclusive WhatsApp Group
- Access to our Cooking Club membership site
- A growing recipe library of family-friendly, child-tested recipes
- Clear step-by-step video instructions so children can follow along independently
- Save R600 per year compared to monthly
- FREE Apron and Folder
RECIPES FROM OUR COOKING CLUB
Family-friendly meals in as few steps, ingredients, and dirty dishes as possible with step-by-step tutorial videos. So easy a child can make these meals!
What makes our cooking classes different?
Fun, family-friendly recipes and skills taught simply — without overwhelming instructions, complicated methods, or unnecessary fluff. Just clear, confidence-building cooking that kids love.
Kitchen Confidence for Kids & Teens
If you want your child to build real cooking skills -the kind they’ll use for life – this club gives them the structure and support to succeed. They’ll follow step-by-step videos or they can join our live cooking classes once a week. We teach simple techniques that make them feel capable and excited to cook.
Save Time, Money & Stress
No more searching for kid-appropriate recipes or buying ingredients that never get used. Each lesson is tested, budget-friendly, and designed to work for families. Recipes are quick, easy, and use accessible ingredients you already have at home.
Bring Your Family Back to the Table
Cooking becomes a shared experience instead of a chore. With each new recipe, kids create meals they’re proud of-and families reconnect through homemade food. Wooden Spoon Kids isn’t just a cooking class; it’s a way to build confidence, independence, and connection.
WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING
My son started this online cooking class with zero skills and now he’s practically hosting his own cooking show. With Ankie’s help he’s made quiche, curry and ice cream to name a few. The class made cooking fun and is something that the whole family looks forward to each week. Highly recommend if you want your child to go from ‘can’t boil water’ to ‘chef extraordinaire’
Liezl Kilian-Parent
★★★★★
Me and my family’s experience with this cooking club is fun so far. I know my mom likes it the most because when we cook dinners in class my mom doesn’t have to cook and I have learn’t some new techniques and recipes.
Sane Wanda-Student
★★★★★
Recipes are great and we use some of them often, my daughter is really enjoying the classes. She has gained confidence in the kitchen and easily whips up something for the family to enjoy!
Lindie Weyers-Parent
★★★★★
This cooking course has been exciting and valuable for our whole family. As a Mom I get a night off and we all look forward to the tasty meals. My son’s confidence in the kitchen has improved immensely. Highly recommended!
Aimee Loubser-Parent
★★★★★
FAQ-FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Our lessons are designed for kids and teens ages 10–16. Younger children can join in with adult support, and older teens often cook independently. Each recipe includes step-by-step videos to support all confidence levels.
Your membership gives you access to:
- Weekly new recipes
- Step-by-step cooking videos
- A full recipe library
- Printable recipes
- Kitchen skills videos (knife skills, hygiene, safety, measuring, etc.)
- Weekly live Zoom classes
- A fun, supportive community on WhatsApp
- Content grows every month, so your membership gets more valuable over time.
No. We use basic kitchen tools most families already own. Any special equipment will be listed ahead of time in the recipe notes. But a good quality starter kit will be on sale on the website with equipment that I use daily and will last for years to come.
Online hub Membership-R150
Full monthly Membership-R350
Yearly Membership-R3600
Founding members joining in January will receive a special discounted rate that stays locked in as long as the subscription remains active. After the 50 founding members join the monthly price will increase.
Yes! There are no contracts or commitments. You can cancel your membership at any time inside your account, and you’ll keep access until the end of the paid month.
Live classes are included in your membership on Tuesdays or Thursdays 17:00-18:00 and Saturdays from 12:00-13:00
You will need to opt in for the zoom classes and will be added to a WhatsApp group where we share the weekly recipe, zoom link and skills videos or special instructions regarding the recipe. Kids can cook along with me in real time, ask questions, and show off what they’re making. If you can’t attend or missed a lesson it will be loaded onto the website, but there is also a library of other recipes if you want to learn anything else that week.
Safety is a core part of our teaching.
You’ll find: Knife skills videos, Hygiene and safety lessons, Step-by-step guidance
You know your child best — younger children should have supervision around heat, knives, and equipment.
All lessons are available inside the Cooking Club Hub on the Wooden Spoon Kitchen website. Just log in and choose your recipe or skills lesson.
Yes, but all recipes use simple, affordable, accessible ingredients. Most families already have many of the basics at home. Weekly shopping lists are included.
Yes! One membership covers your whole household.
Perfect! Many parents join because they want their kids to become more confident with food. Cooking helps reduce picky eating by letting kids: Touch ingredients, Make decisions, Taste as they go, Take ownership of the final meal. Most picky eaters actually love the format. There are also extra ingredient ideas in the recipe, don’t like mushrooms try adding peppers.
No stress — the membership is self-paced. You can watch lessons anytime, repeat your favourites, and go at a pace that suits your family. But try to make at least one recipe each week. By the end of the year your child could have learned more than 32 new recipes.
Print out the tracker sheet on the membership site and tick of as they master different skills
You don’t have to but it will help your child to feel part of our community and will help to keep their recipes organised as a keepsake also for their own children.
