For more than two decades, chef and educator Cricket Azima has helped children discover the joy of cooking through her organization, The Creative Kitchen. Her mission has always been rooted in empowering kids through hands-on food education, from cooking classes to large community events like the Kids Food Festival.
But in the middle of the pandemic, she noticed something simple that sparked an entirely new idea.
“For more than two decades with The Creative Kitchen, my mission has always been to empower kids through healthful cooking classes and our large scale event, the Kids Food Festival,” she explains. “The pivot from healthful foods to candy came out of the pandemic, when kids missed out on in-person, joyful experiences.”
That moment of observation turned into a new creative direction. “The spark for Cricket’s Candy Creations came from noticing something simple but powerful: whenever candy entered the room, the energy shifted,” she says. “Kids lit up.”
“Instead of dismissing that excitement, I started asking, ‘What if we harness it?’” The result is Cricket’s Candy Creations, a playful concept where candy becomes the foundation for imagination, creativity, and hands-on learning. “It felt different from my earlier work because it leaned fully into joy first,” she says. “With vegetables, we often have to build curiosity. With candy, the curiosity is already there — and that’s a beautiful place to begin.”
For a trained chef who has long focused on balanced eating, the shift to candy might seem surprising. But Azima sees it as part of the same philosophy. “I believe in balance, and balance includes celebration,” she says. “I’ve never believed in labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’” In her view, candy can actually become a tool for learning. “When we remove shame and bring intention, candy becomes an opportunity to teach moderation, creativity, and even food science,” she explains. “It’s not about excess, it’s about experience.”
One moment that helped shape the idea came from her own family. “I have a son with special needs who loves sensory activities, and I wanted to come up with a slime that would be safe if he put it in his mouth,” she says. “Once I realized that EVERYBODY loved making edible slime, we went full speed ahead with the candy crafting concept.”
Much of the spirit behind Cricket’s Candy Creations traces back to Azima’s own childhood. “I’ve always leaned in to teaching through play and imagination,” she says. “Whether it’s healthful cooking classes or candy crafts, it’s our preferred mode of education.”
That philosophy, she explains, grew out of her Montessori-inspired upbringing. “Teaching through play and imagination has always been my approach,” she says. Through years of working with families, she’s also learned that children often have a much more natural relationship with food than adults realize. “When adults remove judgment, they can see that kids are incredibly intuitive,” she says. “They just need guidance and space to explore.”
At first glance, candy crafts might look like simple fun. But behind every activity is a deeper layer of learning. “Beneath the sugar is creativity, STEM-based learning, sensory exploration, and confidence-building,” Azima explains. When kids design their own candy creations, they’re doing more than decorating sweets. “They’re making choices, experimenting, and expressing themselves,” she says.
Participation is the heart of every experience. “I design candy experiences like I design cooking classes: interactive, exploratory, and collaborative,” she explains. Kids might build edible art, invent their own candy creations, or experiment with flavors and textures.
Azima’s own candy preferences reveal a lot about how she thinks creatively. “My favorite candy bars are Whatchamacallit and Butterfinger,” she says. “And I love white pineapple gummies.” What ties them together is texture. “I love crunch, chew, and contrast,” she explains. “That definitely influences my creations.” Those playful contrasts often inspire the imaginative combinations kids create during candy experiences.
Launching Cricket’s Candy Creations after decades of success with The Creative Kitchen came with its own challenges. “The challenge was perception,” Azima says. “Some people hear ‘candy’ and assume it conflicts with my balanced eating philosophy.” But she sees it differently. “It’s not about replacing healthy food education,” she says. “It’s about expanding the conversation around food joy.”
And sometimes, new ideas come from recognizing the moment.
“As an entrepreneur, I’ve always recognized that it’s important to evolve,” she says. “After years of building The Creative Kitchen, I felt inspired to explore a new dimension of food education, one that felt lighter, playful, and creatively expansive.”
Ultimately, the goal of Cricket’s Candy Creations goes far beyond sweets. When children leave an experience, Azima hopes they carry something deeper. “Confidence,” she says. “I hope they feel proud of what they made.” She also hopes the experience reshapes how they think about food. “I want them to associate food with creativity and connection — and balance.”
After working with families for more than 20 years, she’s seen firsthand how candy often becomes part of meaningful moments. “Candy is often tied to celebration, comfort, and tradition,” she says. “I’ve seen it bring families together at festivals, birthday parties, and everyday kitchen tables.”
And if a child remembers one of these experiences years later, she hopes it feels simple and joyful. “I would want them to remember feeling free to express themselves,” she says. “And maybe laughing a little with sticky fingers.”
The vision for Cricket’s Candy Creations is only just beginning.
“My bigger vision is to continue creating immersive candy experiences,” Azima says. That future includes pop-ups, collaborations, franchising opportunities, and at-home candy crafting kits designed to bring the magic anywhere. “I want Cricket’s Candy Creations to be known not just for sweets,” she says, “but for sparking imagination.”
And perhaps that’s the secret behind the concept: candy isn’t just the treat, it’s the invitation to create.
