Itty Bitty Bakers summer baking camps deliver an immersive culinary adventure for the budding chefs within our community, empowering them to grow in their knowledge of the culinary arts while boosting their self-confidence in the kitchen.

This year, Itty Bitty Bakers has over thirty fun, theme-based summer baking camps to choose from across the greater Birmingham area. A typical camp size is 6-10 students and prices vary depending on length of the camp and recipes made, ranging from $160-$240. Camps are taught at home kitchens and are nut free unless otherwise noted.

Baking camps are organized by age groups in order to ensure lessons and instructions are developmentally age-appropriate. Each camp day begins with an ice-breaker or game, followed by ingredient assignments and recipe preparation. Last summer, one mom wrote, “I couldn’t believe how hands-on everything was when my daughter told me all that she got to do.”

All camps feature a different baking experience each day, with additional crafts, snacks, and games while food bakes and cools. Kids will taste a portion of their baked goods at camp and take some home each day as well.

Camp options are May 31st through July 28th and include the following ages and themes.

Dr. Seuss Baking Camp
Ages 3-5 and 5-7.
The Cat in the Hat knows a lot about baking! And so does school teacher Sarah Eubanks who will spend her summer break teaching little ones to bake!
Recipes: Day 1 – Green Eggs and Ham Donuts Day 2 – Truffula Tree Cake Pops Day 3 – Cat in the Hat Cupcakes Day 4 – Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Rainbow Cookies

Storybook Baking Camp (Author: Jory John)
Ages 3-5
No sour grapes this summer! The Food Group books by Jory John will serve up a daily dose of laughter as well as baking fun!
Recipes: Day 1 – Birthday Cake Cookies (The Smart Cookie) Day 2 – Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins (The Couch Potato) Day 3 – Egg shaped Oreo Truffles (The Good Egg) Day 4 – Lemon Poppy Seed Donuts (The Bad Seed)

Tangled Baking Camp
Ages 5-7.
Climb the tower of fun with Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, and Pascal in this Tangled-themed baking camp!
Recipes: Day 1 – Rapunzel’s Blondies, Day 2 – Magic Kingdom’s Tangled Wall Eclairs, Day 3 – Rapunzel’s Tower Cupcakes

Art Lovers Baking Camp
Ages 5-7.
Join us for a colorful camp for kids who love both art and baking!
Recipes: Day 1 – Paint Splatter Donuts, Day 2 – Flower Pot Cookie Cups, Day 3 – Kaleidoscope Fruit Pizzas

American Girl Baking Camp
Ages 6-9.
Bring your favorite doll as we bake recipes together from the American Girl Baking Cookbook!
Recipes: Day 1 – Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches, Day 2 – Raspberry Chocolate Tartlets, Day 3 – Thumbprint Cookies, Day 4 – Chewy Coconut Macaroons, Day 5 – Devil’s Food Cupcakes

Bake Sale Baking Camp
Ages 6-9.
Brownies, cookies, cupcakes, and pies – kids will have so much fun working together to make a variety of baked goods perfect for our community bake sale for No Kid Hungry charity.

Brookie’s Cookies Baking Camp
Ages 6-9.
Come join Miss Brooke for a cookie-baking extravaganza in her kitchen where you’ll perfect your cookie baking skills!
Recipes: Day 1 – Cosmic Brownie Cookies, Day 2 – Cookie Monster Cookies, Day 3 – Stacked Chocolate Chip Cookie Cakes

Harry Potter Baking Camp
Ages8-12.
Wizards and muggles alike – come join us as we bake some of the delights from the wizarding world of Harry Potter!
Recipes: Day 1: Hagrid’s Rock Cakes and Hot Butter Beer, Day 2: Cornish Pasties and Fizzing Whizzbees, Day 3: Mandrake Cupcakes and Amortentia Potion Punch

Magic Kingdom Baking Camp
Ages 8-12.
Learn to make some of the most iconic treats this summer from the most magical place on earth!
Recipes: Day 1 – Cheshire Cat Tails and Tomorrowland Slushies, Day 2 – Gaston’s Cinnamon Rolls and LeFou’s Brew, Day 3 – Mickey Pretzels and Dole Whip

Pretty in Pink Baking Camp
Ages 8-12.
Everything just tastes better when it’s PINK!
Recipes: Day 1 – Pink Velvet Cookies, Day 2 – Pink Strawberry Cupcakes, Day 3 – Pink Macarons with White Chocolate Ganache Filling

Pizza Lovers Baking Camp
Ages 8-12.
If you love pizza, then you’ll love this camp, where we’ll be making a different type of pizza PLUS dessert pizza each day.
Recipes: Day 1 – Pizza Puffs and Chocolate Chip Dessert Pizza, Day 2 – Pizza Pot Pie and Fruit Cookie Dessert Pizza, Day 3 – Pizza Hand Pies and Brownie Stuffed Crust Pizza

Bakery Cake Camp and Harry Potter Cake Camp
Ages 10-14.
At cake camp, students will learn how to make a cake from start to finish! On the last day they’ll take home their completed 2-layer, 6-inch chocolate cake adorned with buttercream and fondant accents.

For more information or to register for camps, visit their website at www.ittybittybakers.com

Use code BHMMOMMY at checkout for 10% off.

Springtime brings warmer temperatures and flowers in bloom, but also brings dreaded allergy symptoms like itchy, watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing.

Dr. Amy CaJacob is an allergist at Children’s of Alabama. She says spring allergies are due to tree pollen. Tree pollen is carried by the wind, so the allergens are in the air we breathe. In the South especially, tree pollen is evidenced by a blanket of yellow dust covering everything outside.

CaJacob says spring allergies usually begin around Valentine’s Day. She advises parents whose children suffer from allergy symptoms in the spring to begin treatment at that time. However, CaJacob says it’s not necessary for everyone to seek treatment.

“If it’s just here and there, drippy nose, itchy eyes and it’s not bothering the child, then it’s probably not anything to worry about,” she says. “But when you get concerned is when it is impacting their quality of life, if they’re not paying attention in school, if they’re stuffy and snotty all the time, scratching or rubbing their eyes, eyes that are bloodshot and tearing then you probably want to seek treatment.”

For children who suffer from asthma, springtime allergies can be especially concerning. “Typically children with asthma are already using a rescue inhaler a couple of times a week. If they’re doing it more than that then they really need to see their pediatrician or an asthma specialist to step up their regimen during pollen season,” CaJacob advises.

It can be tough to avoid pollen exposure in the springtime other than staying indoors.
CaJacob usually advises patients to minimize exposure and limit opening windows and doors during this time of year. Parents can also be aware of the daily pollen report given by the local weather forecast.

If you think your child suffers from seasonal allergies, keep a diary of symptoms and possible triggers and discuss with their pediatrician. They may recommend allergy testing.

This is a great resource if you have a teenager looking for a summer job!

In 2023, the YMCA of Greater Birmingham is committed to water safety for children, adults and families around the entire Greater Birmingham area and eliminating the current lifeguard shortage in our communities.  To achieve that goal, the YMCA of Greater Birmingham is committed to training 1,500 lifeguards FREE of charge regardless of who may hire them. Lifeguard Certifications will be offered to anyone in the community that can meet the prerequisites regardless of whether they work for the Y or not.

Follow this link for more information or to register for your certification.

Racing for Children’s is revved up and ready to reveal their racecars for the upcoming 2023 race season, including a special entry during the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix weekend, April 29-30.

Established by Birmingham area motorsports enthusiasts almost fourteen years ago, Racing for Children’s holds to its mission of raising awareness and research funds to help every child win their race against childhood cancers and blood disorders.

Each year this organization champions the cause of kids being cared for by Children’s of Alabama with the support of the community, presenting sponsor Medical Properties Trust and team partner Kellymoss, Inc. by hosting a fundraising dinner and a weekend of special events at Barber Motorsports Park.  Additionally, the group funds hospital and center programs to support children through many aspects of their journey and provides special days at the track throughout the year for the children and their families to enjoy.

On Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 2:30 pm CT – directly in front of Barber Motorsport Museum – the 2023 Honorary Racing for Children’s Crew Chiefs will join their RFC drivers Riley Dickinson and Michael McCarthy to reveal their brand-new Porsche 911 GT3 race cars. Both cars and drivers will be competing in the 2023 Porsche Carrera Cup North America race series, a total of sixteen races.

Each of these cars feature unique handprints and signatures of children in treatment at the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s, which treats more than 90 percent of all Alabama children diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders.   Both drivers have been committed to the Racing for Children’s cause for more than two years and are actively involved in independent fundraising efforts. They both take great pride in the relationships they have developed with kids through these experiences.

Following the press conference, the honorary crew chiefs and drivers will spend time together in the museum before taking hot laps on the Barber Motorsports Park track. From there, the drivers and cars head directly to Sebring International Raceway. The first green flag of the season drops March 16 at 8:15 am ET.

Every lap raced and every championship flag waived inspires kids to win their battle with cancer.