Junior Chef Challenge ideas for OSHC
43 DIY activities for Junior Chef Challenge at before and after school care or vacation care. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
Animal Face Mini Pizzas
Children decorate mini pizza bases with toppings to look like jungle animal faces, then bake and eat them.
ANZAC Day · Cooking Day · Remembrance Day +2Bake ANZAC Biscuits
Children mix, roll and bake oat and golden syrup biscuits while learning why these biscuits are linked to ANZAC Day.
Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge · Café Day +1Baking Cookies
Children measure, mix and decorate their own cookies, practising maths and kitchen skills along the way.
Cooking Day · Café Day · Birthday for Everyone Day +1Biscuit Decorating
Children ice and decorate plain biscuits with sprinkles, creating colourful edible art.
Junior Chef Challenge · Science Week · Science Day +1Blind Taste Test Survey
Children blind taste-test three versions of one food, vote for a favourite and graph the group's results.
Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge · Café Day +1Build a Burger Bar
Children assemble their own burgers from a toppings bar, choosing fillings and practising independence.
Taco Fiesta Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +2Build Your Own Tacos
Children choose fillings and assemble their own tacos, practising food skills and trying new flavours.
Junior Chef Challenge · Cooking Day · Café Day +2Chef Hat Design
Children make tall paper chef hats with a decorated band showing the name of their very own restaurant.
International Chess Day · Cooking Day · Board Games Day +2Chessboard Sandwich Squares
Children make a chessboard snack by arranging alternating squares of white and wholemeal sandwiches into an 8 by 8 grid.
Café Day · Cooking Day · Market Day +3Children's Café
Children plan, prepare and serve simple snacks in their own pop-up café, taking turns as chefs, wait staff and customers.
Chocolate Day · Cooking Day · Fruit and Veggie Day +1Chocolate Dipped Fruit
Children dip fresh fruit into melted chocolate and let it set, making a simple treat to share.
Christmas · Cooking Day · Christmas in July +1Christmas Lunch Together
Children help prepare and share a festive meal, setting the table and enjoying it as a group.
Birthday for Everyone Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +2Cupcake Decorating Station
Children decorate plain cupcakes with icing and toppings for a shared celebration, practising fine motor skills.
Junior Chef Challenge · Cooking Day · Fashion Design Day +1Decorate Your Own Apron
Children use fabric markers to design a plain apron they can wear for cooking activities and take home.
Cooking Day · Birthday for Everyone Day · Café Day +1Donut Decorating
Children decorate plain donuts with icing and sprinkles for a fun party treat.
Lunar New Year · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +2Dumpling Folding
Children fold simple dumplings using ready-made wrappers and a filling, learning a Lunar New Year food tradition.
World Food Day · Cooking Day · Around the World Day +3Flatbreads From Many Cultures
Children mix, knead and roll simple flatbreads, learning that versions are made in many places, from chapati in India to wheat tortillas in Mexico.
Italian Festa Day · Cooking Day · Grandparents Day +3Fresh Pasta With Nonna
Children make fresh pasta dough by hand and cut it into ribbons, ideally guided by a nonno, nonna or family member who makes pasta at home.
Junior Chef Challenge · Fruit and Veggie Day · Cooking Day +2Fruit Kebab Plating
Children thread fruit onto blunt skewers and plate them creatively for a judging panel of educators.
Cooking Day · Taco Fiesta Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1Healthy Nachos
Children layer corn chips with beans, salsa and cheese, then bake to make a healthier nachos.
St Patrick's Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1Irish Soda Bread Rolls
Children mix and shape small soda bread rolls, a quick Irish bread that rises with bicarb soda instead of yeast, and cut a cross on top before baking.
Life Skills Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +2Make Your Own Lunch
Children plan and prepare their own sandwich and snack, building independence in the kitchen.
Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge · Café Day +1Make Your Own Pizza
Each child tops a pizza base with their choice of sauce, cheese and toppings before it is baked.
Cooking Day · Fruit and Veggie Day · Healthy Heart Day +1Make Your Own Wraps
Children fill wraps from a choice of simple fillings, building a healthy lunch themselves.
Pi Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1Mini Pie Making
Children fill pastry cases with sweet or savoury fillings to make mini pies. A tasty pun for Pi Day.
Junior Chef Challenge · Cooking Day · Challenge Day +2Mystery Box Lunch Challenge
Teams open a mystery box of safe, simple ingredients and work together to create a lunch for a judging panel.
Farm to Table Day · Junior Chef Challenge · Cooking Day +1Mystery Ingredient Cook-Off
Teams receive a box of surprise ingredients and plan, prepare and present a simple dish to share.
Cooking Day · Healthy Heart Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1No-Bake Bliss Balls
Children mix and roll oats, dates and coconut into energy balls, a simple no-cook recipe.
Cooking Day · Pancake Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1Pancake Flipping
Children cook pancakes and practise flipping them with an educator's supervision.
Pancake Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1Pancake Toppings Bar
Children help mix batter, watch pancakes cook and choose from a toppings bar. A Shrove Tuesday treat that builds cooking skills.
Junior Chef Challenge · Cooking Day · Café Day +1Pizza Scroll Making
Children spread sauce and cheese over dough, roll it up and slice it into scrolls ready for the oven.
Down on the Farm · Chocolate Day · Cooking Day +1Puffed Rice Haystacks
Children stir puffed rice cereal into melted chocolate and spoon out crunchy haystack treats.
Cooking Day · Rainbow Day · Birthday for Everyone Day +1Rainbow Cupcakes
Children make layered rainbow cupcakes with coloured batter and decorate them.
Cooking Day · All About Australia Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1Savoury Scrolls
Children roll puff pastry with a yeast spread or pizza sauce and cheese, then slice and bake.
Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge · Book Week +2Service Cookbook
After each cooking session children write up and illustrate the recipe for a growing service cookbook.
Cooking Day · Money Day · Life Skills Day +3Shop and Cook Afternoon Tea
A small group walks to a local shop to buy ingredients on a budget, then cooks their own afternoon tea.
Mooncake Festival · Cooking Day · Culture Celebration Day +1Simple Mooncake Making
Children press a simple dough and sweet filling into moulds to make mooncakes inspired by the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Science and Space · Space Explorers · Cooking Day +1Star Biscuits
Children roll out biscuit dough, cut star and moon shapes and bake them for a space-themed afternoon tea.
Cooking Day · Japan Day · Junior Chef Challenge +1Sushi Rolling
Children roll their own sushi with rice and simple fillings using bamboo mats.
Taco Fiesta Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +2Taco Bar
Children help chop soft toppings and set up a taco bar, then build their own taco for a shared lunch.
Teddy Bears' Picnic · Cooking Day · Junior Chef ChallengeTeddy Bear Cupcakes
Children decorate cupcakes with icing, small biscuits for ears and simple features to make teddy bear faces for a picnic treat.
Cooking Day · Japan Day · Fruit and Veggie Day +1Vegetarian Sushi Rolls
Children roll vegetarian sushi with rice and colourful vegetable fillings.
Gross and Messy Day · Cooking Day · Junior Chef Challenge +2Weird Food Combo Tasting
Children try unusual but safe food pairings, such as apple with cheese or popcorn with cinnamon, and rate each one.