Understanding Food

It is important that children learn where their food comes from in order to establish a healthy diet and a good relationship with food as well as developing healthy eating habits. This term we have undertaken a number of activities to help the children learn about their food whilst having fun. 

Together with another childminder we planted and then harvested some potatoes. The children helped tip out the contents of the pots and took it in turns to find potatoes within the mud. Some used their hands whilst others were more comfortable with spades.  The children discussed and then put into practice washing the mud from the potatoes. This was also a great opportunity for counting them out and incorporating size language. 

Once our potatoes were clean we cooked them and included them within our lunch with each child enjoying tasting them.

Our term ended in a slightly damp trip to the local pick your own. The children were not put off by the rain and were keen to all have a go at picking a variety of fruit and vegetables ranging from strawberries and raspberries through to carrots and onions.

We were lucky enough to have the farmer show off a section of fruit and vegetables to the children before taking them home for lunch. For the older children I used the opportunity to enable use of knives for cutting up the strawberries before the children polished these off with a large spoon of ice cream!

Fruit Picking

I always aim to promote a healthy diet amongst the children and aim to educate them from a young age about the foods that they eat. For this fruit picking is the perfect activity, fun in the fields while seeing where our food actually comes from. 

This morning we met up with friends to enable the children to pick variety of fruit ranging from raspberries through to black currants and black berries. We also investigated broad beans, shallots and local chard. 

The children loved picking (and tasting!) the fruits and were fascinated with the process of shelling the peas. After munching on some of our fruit we set about painting pictures of the morning which was such fun and really got the children talking about what they had seen. 

Harvesting Potatoes

Back in March this year the children helped to plant some potatoes as part of the 'grow your own potato' project. 

Since then the children have helped to care for the plants, watering them and measuring how big they are growing. When they spotted some of the potatoes peeping through the soil they became tremendously excited about picking them. Finally, this week the day of picking arrived!

Armed with spades the children excitedly attacked the mound of soil, holding up the potatoes like they were treasure. It was also a great opportunity for a mini beast hunt with woodlice, ants, snails and spiders being discovered. 

We collected the potatoes and the children then set about washing the mud from them before they came indoors. Finally we cooked the potatoes and, after adding some butter and mint and I can confirm that they tasted delicious!

Citrus Dough

In order to make playing with play dough a more sensory experience I decided to add a bit of zing with the aid of some citrus fruits. Through adding the rind and juice of some oranges and lemons the dough had a wonderful fresh aroma.

We initially looked at and smelt the oranges and lemons and talked a bit about the fruits. The children then got to work on their play. 

As ever the dough became a wonderful creative tool, resulting in fantastic imaginary play with the children pretending to make flowers using cutters, cupcakes and even a caterpillar as well as using the tools to investigate shapes and practice their cutting skills.