Need Ideas for 3-4yo "cooking" class

[root*children]

I'm teaching a class of 3-4 year olds in our homeschool co-op. I choose to call the class "Little Chefs". Now, we won't have kitchen access, and I don't particularly want 3 and 4 yo's around a stove So I am trying to come up with fun snacks they can prepare themselves. They can involve some manual tools, like citrus juicer, hand-crank egg beaters, etc. They'll also be encouraged to use butter knives for slicing things, they'll practice measuring, and whatnot.

So ideas I have so far are

- to bring in my air popper and do some popcorn which is always fun to watch and they'll season, and maybe we'll leave some unseasoned and make some kind of no-cook popcorn balls (is there such a thing?), or make some art work out of the popcorn.
- use the citrus juicer and experiment with different juices, possibly mixing the end result with some fizzy water to make a spritzer or yogurt to make a smoothie
- fruit salad (they can slice up soft fruit, peel tangerines or clementines, etc)
- make butter (in baby food jars)
- cereal necklaces
- old-school peanut butter balls
- something with hard boiled eggs (so that they could peel them and make something out of them, maybe boats or something?)
- instant pudding (mix yogurt, applesauce and a mashed banana)

Okay, so what fun things does your toddler like to help make? Or what things have they done at preschool that are a hit? These are snack items, not lunch or anything. There is a 2/3 teacher/child ratio. I'd love to have them make some kind of dip for veggies, and would love to hear your ideas! Thanks!

[LaughingHyena]

DS like to make rice cake faces by spreading cream cheese onto rice cakes then decorating with raisins, sliced veggies etc. Grated carrot is a must for good hair styling
Hummus is another spread which we use as a base and decorate onto

Little fruit kebabs with some yoghurt to dip them in.

We like mint and yoghurt as a veggie dip.

Even something as simple as egg mayonnaise sandwiches has lots of processes that little ones enjoy. You could even grow some cress on damp paper towels to eat with them.

[catnip]

Go check out Salad People and Pretend Soup by Mollie Katzen from the library. Tons of ideas for exactly what you are looking for. I recommend Polka Dot Rice and Counting Soup from those cookbooks.

[root*children]

My $80 library fines prevent me from checking anything out - although I have checked those out years ago i remember. If you've got any ideas you can post here, I'd love em

[eepster]

Dipping bananas. You can do a bunch of things with half bananas stuck onto popsicle sticks. Dip them in chocolate syrup, roll them in granola, etc.

How can a homeschool group not have kitchen access?

[root*children]

This homeschool group cannot have kitchen access because it's a group of 50 families that rent out a church. The church cannot legally let children use the kitchen because of liabilities with their gas stoves.

[BeanyMama]

Smoothies might be fun. My little ones like making smoothie recipes and turning on and off the blender. Such power!