How a little dough can dish out confidence in kids

Qulai Pizza in Kulai, Johor, offers children a hands-on pizza-making experience that builds confidence, coordination, and a sense of accomplishment. The class, which began as a response to parents requesting their children to participate, has become a regular morning program for around 20 children, with larger groups taking up to three hours.

At the heart of the program is the process of making a pizza from scratch, starting with kneading the dough and shaping it, before watching it bake in a wood-fired oven. This allows children to develop a deeper understanding of the effort involved in creating something tasty, rather than simply enjoying a pre-made product. Shahril Aman, the owner of Qulai Pizza, emphasizes the importance of boosting children's confidence as they learn to handle a pizza paddle and see their creation come out of the oven.

Initially, some children may be nervous, but Shahril views this hesitation as an opportunity to teach them that they can accomplish challenging tasks with guidance. The program also welcomes children with special needs, including those with autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy, with Shahril's wife, who has a background in special education, providing support to adapt activities according to each child's comfort level and abilities.

Beyond the baking process, the kampung setting offers additional learning opportunities, such as observing fruit trees, herbs, and the firewood used to heat the oven. The reward for the children at the end of the session is a warm, homemade pizza they made themselves and the satisfaction of knowing they managed every step along the way.