At lunch last week, one of our kiddos made an unexpected discovery, “There’s a pea in my green bean!” It was actually just the bean inside the green bean pod, but it was a cute interpretation and a delightful surprise for him. We feed our daycare kids lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. A big hit lately has been raw green beans. Maybe that’s because it’s a food with a prize inside!
Every parent knows it’s not easy to get kids to try new foods. But one thing they do enjoy is making a mess! Letting kids be part of preparation, especially a messy one, is not only fun but can make them much more likely to eat something new. For the holidays we guided our Studio Daycare kids in making mashed sweet potatoes, and we made enough so they could take some home as well. They loved using the big smasher to squish the potatoes up and were so excited to have made food their families would eat at home too. It built self-esteem and gave them an opportunity to feel like they could contribute to the family just like their moms and dads!
