Research shows that one way to get your kids to try new foods is to engage them in the selection and cooking of them. This fun and engaging farmers’ market scavenger hunt is one great way to do that.
With the lure of fresh baked goods, luscious fruit, chocolate and the occasional adorable puppy, my kids usually don’t need to much more incentive to come with me to the farmer’s market (or the “farmer”, as they used to call it.) Nonetheless, I love this creative scavenger hunt that Michelle Stern put together for parents, teachers or camp counselors to do with kids when they visit the farm markets. Let me know how your kids score on the hunt!
“Before school starts, gather your kids and take them to the farmer’s market. They will love to taste the fresh and seasonal produce. They might also enjoy a little detective work…
Farmers’ Market Scavenger Hunt
- Find a yellow fruit or vegetable. What is it?
- Locate a purple food with an interesting shape. What is it?
- Find a red food that is bigger than your fist. What is it?
- Search for a green food that you have not tasted before. What is it?
- Taste an organic strawberry and one that conventionally grown (not organic). Compare the flavor. Which one tastes better?
- Find something that grows on a vine:
- Locate something that grows underground:
- Find something that grows on a tree:
- Ask 3 people if a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable.
- What are two examples of a “stone fruit?”
- Taste them and say which one you liked better.
- Ask 3 vendors what time they woke up this morning…
…and how long it took them to get here (time or distance) - Find two stands that sell peaches. How do their prices compare? (For older kids: List 3 reasons why one might be more expensive than the other)
Would you like more support to get your kids to try new foods? Check out my interview with my formerly picky eater and The Importance of Autonomy: Helping “Picky” Eaters to Try New Things.
And if you’d like tips for getting dinner on the table, check out The Scramble’s family-friendly meal plans!
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Katy
Monday 24th of August 2009
This looks like so much fun! Thank you for posting this. We have at least three farmers markets close by and haven't really been to any of them. This will be a great activity for later this week.