EXPLORING NEW FOODS

Name that food

Eating “Boris The Broccoli”  is a lot more fun than eating plain old broccoli.

• Come up with fun, silly names for foods and encourage your kid to do the same
• Try building a story around the “food characters” you create

Dining room manager

If your child is not into being a chef, make him or her dining room manager. He or she can:

• Set the table and decorate with a special centrepiece
• Fold the napkins into shapes
• Call the family to dinner
• Announce tonight's “specials”
• Compliment the “chef”
• Help serve and clean up the table

Pizza, everyone?

A good way to get kids to eat their vegetables is to let them make their own mini-pizzas.

• Set up an assembly line of pizza toppings
• Include veggies cut up into different shapes
• Cook the pizzas and watch your kid share and eat his or her creation

Play with your food

Warning: This might get messy.

Up for some friendly competition? Make a meal with colourful foods and have each family member plate their food in artistic ways. Then vote for:

• Most creative
• Fanciest
• Funniest, etc.

Kid’s choice (with a little supervision)

Let your kid create the dinner menu every once in a while.

• Have him or her pick out the ingredients
• Let him or her help prepare the meal for the family
• Eat enthusiastically, whatever it is

Grow a garden

Gardening is an educational and fun outdoor activity. You can plant flowers, fruits, vegetables, and even herbs.

• Dig, plant, and water the garden
• Identify the plants with waterproof drawings or names (if your child can write)
• Enjoy the fruits of your labour