Hands-on cooking and café business classes for ages 7 to 17, a learning series for every holiday, and printable activities for families, homeschoolers and schools. Made in Davie, Florida, by a mom who believes kids learn best with real books, real food and real people.
Our cooking series and café business courses at Mama Cheá Café are approved by Step Up For Students, so scholarship families can use their Step Up funds. Pick the way that works for you:
No Step Up? You can still join. Every class is open to all families at the same price. Just tap “Book now” and pay by credit or debit card.
Hands-on classes in a real café kitchen, grouped by age. We kick off with the Kids Cooking Series on November 18, then the café business courses start December 16. No classes during Thanksgiving or New Year's week.
3 Wednesdays · 10 am–12 pm
Nov 18, Dec 2 & Dec 9, 2026
$65per classReal cooking in a real café kitchen. Every recipe sneaks in learning, and all ingredients are included.
Families book all 3 classes: $195 ($65 per class). No class Nov 25 (Thanksgiving week). The series runs with a minimum of 10 students.
5 Wednesdays · 10 am–12 pm
Dec 16, 2026 – Jan 20, 2027
$3605 weeksKids create their own food product, then brand it, label it and price it. To finish, they run Market Day and sell what they made.
Class dates: Dec 16, Dec 23, Jan 6, Jan 13 & Jan 20. No class Dec 30 (New Year's week).
5 Wednesdays · 12:30–2:30 pm
Dec 16, 2026 – Jan 20, 2027
$4205 weeksTeens build a real food brand from scratch, learn profit margins, film their own ad, and run Market Day like business owners.
Class dates: Dec 16, Dec 23, Jan 6, Jan 13 & Jan 20. No class Dec 30 (New Year's week).
Taught by Nicole Lopez, founder of Mama Cheá Café and Forage Earth & Ocean, with more than 10 years in culinary work and branding. All classes are at Mama Cheá Café, 8220 Griffin Road, Davie, FL. Spots are limited, so sign up early and bring a friend.
Each holiday gets its own story and a learning series for students, with reading, math, science and life skills built around the days kids look forward to. Use it at home, in homeschool or in the classroom.
Out now
Halloween · October
Healthy teeth, counting, rhyming and letter writing.
Gratitude, harvest science and measuring in the kitchen.
Giving, traditions around the world and winter math.
Goal setting, calendars and telling time.
Kindness, friendship letters and heart-healthy foods.
Seeds, plant life cycles and garden science.
Recycling, composting and caring for our planet.
Birthday stories, party math and celebrating each other.
Be the first to see the next holiday series. Subscribe on YouTube, or email us at rootingforourkids@gmail.com
Subscribe on YouTubeMr. Pumpkin is the silliest, wiggliest, candy-lovin' pumpkin around, and he has a deal for kids. Collect all the candy you want on Halloween, write him a letter, and leave your candy by the front door before bed. Overnight, he trades it for a surprise. All that sugar turns him into pumpkin spice for Thanksgiving pie and Christmas cookies.
Written by Nicole Lopez, mom of Zen Anthony
Press play for a 20-second preview, then watch the whole story on YouTube with the words on screen so kids can follow along.
New story videos go up on our YouTube channel, @RootingForOurKids.
Tap “Read to me” and each line lights up as it's read.
Each game practices one skill from the book: healthy teeth, counting, rhyming and writing. Parents, the last tab shows how to start the Mr. Pumpkin tradition at home.
Homeschool families and co-ops, micro schools, private schools, charter schools and public schools: our story series, printables and hands-on classes fit right into your week.
Bring your class, co-op or micro school to Mama Cheá Café for the 3-week cooking series or the 5-week café business courses, grouped by age from 7 to 17.
Our story series comes with read-along pages, games and printable packs for reading, math, science and healthy habits. Teachers can grab the ready-to-teach 5-day Mr. Pumpkin unit in our shop.
Kitchen safety, money math, teamwork, customer service and speaking up with confidence. The basics kids carry into every classroom.
Plan a class or program for your school or group. Email rootingforourkids@gmail.com
Printable PDFs and audio you can use right away at home, in homeschool or in the classroom. Print as many copies as your family needs.
Printable packs that turn the story into reading, math, science, healthy habits and caring for our planet.
Nothing here yet. Tap “Add to email order” on anything above.
Your files (PDF or MP3) are emailed to you within 24–48 hours after payment.
Hi, I'm Nicole. I'm a mom, a small-business owner and a community organizer here in Davie, Florida. I started Rooting for Our Kids because I want a better future for my son, Zen Anthony, and for every child growing up after him.
I believe in smart education, and smart doesn't only mean technology. Screens can help, but kids still need real books in their hands, real food in a real kitchen, and real people who believe in them. They need the simple things that make us human: kindness, good manners, sharing a meal and helping a neighbor.
Everything here comes from real life. Mr. Pumpkin started at home as a way to help my son give up his Halloween candy, and it's the first of many holiday and birthday stories to come. Our classes grew out of Mama Cheá Café, the café I opened in 2023, because I wanted kids to learn the way I did: by doing it.
I've spent more than 20 years organizing in my community. Rooting for Our Kids brings it all together in one place, for families like yours.
“We can't change the world, but we can change the community we live in.”
Nicole Lopez, founder
Kids learn best with their hands, their senses and caring people around them. Technology is a tool, never the whole lesson.
Please and thank you. Sharing a meal. Lending a hand. The basics still matter most.
When families, neighbors and small businesses show up for each other, kids grow up knowing they belong.
These policies apply to every class and every family, including Step Up For Students families. Booking a class means you agree to them.
Your child's spot is held once we have payment (card, or your Step Up EMA confirmation) and a completed registration & waiver form. Prices are the same for every family. Card payments go through our secure Square checkout and come with an emailed receipt.
Cancel at least 7 days before the first class for a refund minus a $25 cancellation fee. Within 7 days of the first class, or once the program has started, payments are non-refundable. Before the first class, you may transfer your spot to another student in the same age group at no charge.
Missed classes are not refunded, credited or made up, because ingredients and supplies are bought ahead for every student. We'll share the day's recipe or handout when we can so your child can catch up.
Each program needs at least 10 students to run. If it doesn't fill, you'll get a full refund or a spot in the next session, with no fee. If we cancel a class for illness, weather or an emergency, we'll email you and add a make-up date. Programs skip holiday weeks, so there's no class Nov 25 (Thanksgiving week) or Dec 30 (New Year's week).
We cook with real food, so allergies matter. List every allergy and dietary need on the registration form and tell us before class if anything changes. Our kitchen is 100% plant-based but not allergen-free: ingredients like nuts, soy, wheat (gluten) and sesame may be used or present. Parents are responsible for telling us about allergies and for sending any prescribed EpiPen to every class.
Students follow kitchen safety rules and the instructor's directions. Drop off no more than 10 minutes before class and pick up on time. Students leave only with you or an adult listed on the form. A student who is unsafe may be asked to sit out or be picked up early, without a refund.
We take photos and videos in class to share our students' work on our website, social media and YouTube, only with your permission on the registration form. We never post a child's full name. Students also take photos and videos for class projects, like the teen ad.
You can pay through EMA or pay by card and request reimbursement. Step Up sends direct payments after classes are delivered. If a refund is ever made on a payment covered by scholarship funds, Step Up requires it to go back to your child's scholarship account. We will never ask for your Step Up login or password.
Fill this out once for each student after you book. It takes about 5 minutes, and every child needs it on file before the first class.
Rooting for Our Kids is a grassroots education brand in Davie, Florida, founded by Nicole Lopez. We run kids and teen cooking and café business classes at Mama Cheá Café, create a learning series for every holiday, and make hands-on learning activities for families, homeschoolers and schools.
Yes. We're an official Step Up For Students provider. Scholarship families can pay through Step Up's EMA marketplace, or pay by card on our website and use the emailed receipt to request reimbursement from Step Up.
Yes. Every class is open to all families. Tap Book now under any class and pay by credit or debit card.
The Kids Cooking Series (ages 7 to 17) is $65 per class, booked as a 3-class series for $195. The Kids Café Business Course (ages 8 to 11) is 5 weeks for $360. The Teen Café Business Course (ages 12 to 17) is 5 weeks for $420.
Cancel at least 7 days before the first class for a refund minus a $25 cancellation fee. Within 7 days of the first class, or once the program starts, payments are non-refundable. Missed classes are not refunded, credited or made up.
Yes. Every student needs a completed registration and waiver form on file before the first class. It covers allergies, emergency contacts, pick-up, and photo and video permission.
All classes are at Mama Cheá Café, 8220 Griffin Road in Davie, Florida (Broward County), on Wednesdays. The Kids Cooking Series meets Nov 18, Dec 2 and Dec 9, 2026 (10 am–12 pm). Then the Kids Café Business Course (10 am to 12 pm) and the Teen Café Business Course (12:30 to 2:30 pm) meet Dec 16, Dec 23, Jan 6, Jan 13 and Jan 20. There are no classes during Thanksgiving week (Nov 25) or New Year's week (Dec 30).
Yes. We welcome homeschool families and co-ops, micro schools, private schools, charter schools and public schools. Email rootingforourkids@gmail.com to plan a class or program for your group.
Each holiday gets its own story and a learning series for students, with reading, math, science and life skills. Mr. Pumpkin for Halloween is out now, and more holidays and birthday stories are on the way.
After you pay, we email your files within 24 to 48 hours. The PDFs work on any phone, tablet or computer and can be printed at home, and the audiobook is an MP3 you can play anywhere.
Yes. Each pack is for one family or one teacher's own class or homeschool group. The Teacher & Homeschool 5-Day Unit adds ready-to-teach lesson plans and a classroom license.
Credit and debit cards through our secure Square checkout, with an emailed receipt, and Step Up For Students scholarship funds through EMA.
No. Every class uses clean, plant-based food with no artificial colors or flavors.
Sí. Our classes are taught in English and Spanish. Hablamos español.
Kids collect candy on Halloween, write Mr. Pumpkin a letter, and leave the candy in a basket by the front door before bed. Overnight, Mr. Pumpkin trades it for a surprise toy, and all that sugar turns him into pumpkin spice for the holidays.