Road Test: Lighthouse Playroom serves up some light and fluffy fun
It's no wonder the kitchen holds so much fascination for toddlers - cooking involves stirring different kinds of mixtures, getting one's hands dirty kneading and handling materials with different textures.
Lighthouse Playroom is a venue in Sai Kung that radiates the warm and friendly feel of the neighbourhood. Its class for children between the ages of 2½ and six starts around a table in the classroom, where each child has a place set with a recipe and instructions - in our case, savoury pancakes.
Our instructor took the parents and children through the steps in an engaging way. The bowl of batter was passed around for each child to whisk and add eggs and milk. The instructor clearly described the ingredients and utensils used, a process which helps them build their vocabulary.
Then we progressed to the induction stove, where the instructor demonstrated pouring the batter onto the hot pan. Each parent and child tried their luck at flipping the crêpe; this was as exciting for the grown-ups as for the kids.
Then it was back to the table to add the stuffing - ham, cheese and spinach - with parents assisting the children in cutting the ham. Each child's stuffed pancake was placed in a buttered baking dish, which the instructor then put into the oven. During the time it took the dish to bake, the kids played with toys in the carpeted area.
Finally, it was time to taste the food we'd just made. My son and I agreed it was delicious. As a mum who is inept in the kitchen, I felt this was a recipe I could replicate at home with some success.