At Tyros Summer Camp 2025, we wanted children to walk away not just with art and memories, but with skills that would stick with them for life. One of those essential life skills is knowing your way around a kitchen — something every person should feel comfortable with, regardless of age or gender.
So we introduced a weekly kitchen counter session as part of the summer camp program. Every week, we made a simple, refreshing summer drink with the children — easy to make, hard to forget. The most popular one by far? Watermelon Lemonade.
Prepping Before Pouring
Before we stepped into action, we slowed down and took a moment to prep — not the ingredients, but ourselves.
The children opened their notebooks and wrote down the recipe, step by step. Then, with colour pencils and plenty of imagination, they each sketched their version of what a perfect glass of watermelon lemonade might look like. Some added umbrellas and straws. Some drew splashes and seeds. Some even gave their lemon slices sunglasses.
This moment of quiet planning was more than cute — it taught focus, visual thinking, and helped the children visualise the process they were about to be part of. It brought ownership, excitement, and set the tone for what was to come.
At the Kitchen Counter
Grouped in teams of three, the children gathered around tables, ready for action. From start to finish, the steps were simple but packed with learning:
- Wash – A gentle introduction to food safety and hygiene.
- Slice & Scoop – Practising safe handling of tools and coordination, while building confidence.
- Smash – Using a tumbler to pulp the watermelon brought out squeals of laughter, and also required focus and control.
- Strain – A test of patience and teamwork as the juice slowly poured through.
- Squeeze lemon – A hands-on flavour experiment (and a little workout!).
- Add sugar, stir, taste – The grand finale, where teamwork met decision-making. Too tangy? A little more sugar? Let’s fix it, together.
What looked like a fun juice-making session was actually a bundle of soft skill-building: collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and shared joy. Each child got a turn, had a say, and played a role. It wasn’t just about making a drink. It was about doing something real, together.
More Than a Drink
Making watermelon lemonade wasn’t just about a tasty outcome. It was about empowering children to participate in the real, adult world in a way that was fun, safe, and meaningful. It gave them a sense of agency — a feeling that they were capable of doing something useful and delightful with their own hands.
Watching them help their peers without being asked, we saw the bigger picture: this wasn’t just kitchen play — it was learning responsibility, building empathy, and strengthening community.
A Taste of Confidence
Our kitchen counter sessions became more than an activity — they became a metaphor for learning itself. Each small step, from slicing fruit to sketching it, turned into an opportunity for self-discovery.
And that’s exactly what Tyros is about — helping children find joy in doing, learning, and growing, one sweet sip at a time.
Tyros 