Five-year-old Shannon Ng spreads a layer of fresh cream on a cupcake with a table knife, a look of concentration on her face.

She is one of 20 children attending a two-hour cupcake-making workshop organised by the People's Association at Tanjong Pagar Community Club.

When asked if she is enjoying herself, she nods and says: 'It's very fun decorating the cupcakes. I don't get to do it at home.'

Sitting next to her, a little boy is more interested in nibbling on his cupcake than dressing it up.

But instead of scolding him, workshop trainer Goh Lih Ying, 55, smiles indulgently. The unspoken message is, as long as he is having fun, that is what matters.

That probably explains the rising popularity of baking and cooking classes here for children in recent years.

Yes, forget piano and swimming lessons, and say bye-bye to 'holiday' enrichment classes that prepare your child for next semester's school curriculum.

Workshops teaching children how to make delicious treats such as cookies, doughnuts and sushi are popular, with community clubs, schools, restaurants and bakeries offering tailor-made courses targeted at those between four and 12.

'Holidays are holidays. My daughter Juli-anne has enough on her hands during school term, that's why I send her to baking classes so she has something to look forward to,' says housewife Jean Stewart, 39.

Fees range from as little as $15 for a two-hour cookie-baking course at a community club to $250 for a three-day camp teaching your kid how to cook, bake and set up a real-life cafe.

Witnessing their little tots preparing food for the first time can be quite an emotional experience for parents.

Just ask office manager Janet Lim, 29, who savoured a maki roll made by her seven-year-old son Jovan at camp last week.

'When I saw him trying so hard to cut the sushi roll, I thought to myself: 'My son has grown up',' she says, beaming proudly.

To ensure safety, most trainers do not allow the children to go near hot ovens, but they are free to do everything else, including weighing the flour, beating the eggs and rolling the dough.

No open fire over the stove or scalding oil either. Most of the cooking classes are fuss-free themes such as sandwich-making or pizza-making, where most of the ingredients are prepared ahead by the trainers.

Civil servant Angela Chong, 37, says: 'These classes are a great way for my five-year-old daughter to have a taste of baking and cooking without having her mess up my kitchen.'

The latest to jump on the bandwagon is cafe and patisserie chain Bakerzin, which introduced the Bakerzin Kids concept this month.

Children learn to make baked goodies such as cocoa and vanilla shortbread, cheesy quiche, crispy apple tart and mini Oreo cheesecake in a kids' kitchen at its outlet in UE Square.

There are about 10 types of workshops and the 11/2-hour lessons cost $42, while repeat customers get $8 off.

Students get to take home their own creations, a chef hat, apron, recipe, a certificate, a photo of themselves in a Bakerzin Kids frame and a badge.

Siblings Letrice, 10, and Kendric Toh, 6, learning to make sushi. Children learning to make sushi at Chua Chu Kang Community Club.

Since the workshops started on June 1, most of the classes have been fully booked and children have been returning for their second and third workshops.

Classes for next month are fast filling up, says Bakerzin founder and chief executive Daniel Tay, 38.

'Baking is a great opportunity for children to learn, create and express themselves,' he says.

'We hope that through the workshops, we are able to share our passion for baking and encourage the children to work creatively with their hands.'

High-end bakery The Patissier also started offering two baking courses for children in April in response to customers' requests.

Meanwhile, the People's Association (PA) offers more than 25 types of courses which are held throughout the year.

During the last December school holidays, over 100 baking and cooking classes were held at community clubs across the island.

Interest in these courses continued in the current June break, with many of its courses being over-subscribed.

In fact, the response to its Ben & Jerry's Parent-Child Ice-Cream Cake Creation workshop was so good that the PA had to add two more classes to cope with the overwhelming demand, says its spokesman.

And this is despite rising food prices pushing the cost of courses higher, compared to December last year.

Take Madam Shirley Tan's sushi-making class, for example. The 55-year-old PA trainer usually charges $15 for PAssion (PA's membership card) members, but because of the increasing cost of rice, she had to raise the fee to $20.

Still, parents rushed to sign up their kids for her course. When LifeStyle visited one of her classes at Chua Chu Kang Community Club last Thursday, there were 27 children, two more than her ideal class size.

'I don't really mind because the kids are really cute,' she says, laughing.

Over at the six-year-old children enrichment school Genius R Us in Tanjong Pagar, owner Violet Khoo says revenue has gone up by more than 30 per cent during this June holidays compared to the same period last year.

It holds a popular three-day camp, as well as around 28 different classes ranging from ice cream-making for toddlers to snow skin mooncake-making.

'When we first started, many parents were not receptive as they felt learning to bake and cook would not help the kids in their school work,' says Ms Khoo, 28.

'But more and more parents are now open to it as these activities can stimulate creativity and improve a child's motor skills.'

Most operators LifeStyle spoke to say the mushrooming of such kiddie courses does not mean that they are money-spinners.

Child-friendly restaurant Globetrotters claims to be the first eatery here to offer parent-and-child cooking workshops - having launched them in 2005 - and its co-owner Marina Wasantachat, 40, says it is not a lucrative business.

'Our competitors should have asked before they copied us. If you're in it for the money, you'll be disappointed,' she says.

'For us, seeing the joy on people's faces - the proud parents and the excited and happy kids - is such a memorable experience.'

Where kids can mess around in the kitchen

Here are some places where children can learn how to cook and bake:

People's Association

Organises children's cooking and baking courses year round at community clubs. More classes during school holidays. Popular classes include sushi making, cupcake-making and ice cream cake creation. From $15 for PAssion card members.

Details: http://one.pa.gov.sg

Globetrotters

This child-friendly restaurant offers pizza workshops ($38 a child or $65 per parent-child pair) plus cookie, muffin, shortbread and cupcake-baking workshops ($42 a child or $75 per parent-child pair) during the school holidays. Available all year for group bookings and as a birthday party activity. There's also a pizza ($10.90++) or sundae ($4.90++) decorating activity.

Details: www.globetrotters.com.sg

Bakerzin

Launched this month, its Bakerzin Kids concept (right) has over 10 courses for kids from four to 12. Each 11/2-hour class costs $42; kids take home their creations, a chef hat, apron, recipe, a certificate, a photo of themselves and a badge. Fee for subsequent workshops is $34 if the child returns with his chef hat and apron.

Details: http://www.bakerzin.com/sliced.asp

Genius R Us

This enrichment school has over 25 baking and cooking courses, including chocolate swiss-roll baking & decorating, chocolate, cream puffs and eclairs and sushi making ($38-$42 a child or $60-$75 per parent-child pair). It also has a school holiday Little Entrepreneurs Camp ($250 for three days), where children learn to set up a real-life cafe.

Details: http://geniusrus.com

Mayer

Kitchen specialist Mayer has been holding kids' workshops since last year. Courses cost $25 per adult and kid, and include chocolate chip cookies with royal icing, burgers and sandwiches. The next workshop is in September.

Details: http://www.mayer.com.sg

The Patissier's Kitchen

The boutique bakery offers two courses for kids aged 7 to12: Brownie Kiddies, where they prepare, bake, cut and shape brownies; Fun time with Missy Chef Joey, where they learn to mould dough animals and decorate cupcakes and gingerbread men. Courses are over two days (four hours per session) and cost $220 each. Patissier members get a 10 per cent discount.

Details: http://www.thepatissiers-kitchen.com