Food Activities

A great way to involve the children in food preparation and teach them more about different types of food is to have some food activities. These could include growing seeds and using the various senses to explore the different smells and tastes.

Growing seeds
Try planting parsley, chive, bean sprouts, mung beans or basil seeds. Involve the children in the watering and fertilising of the seeds and use them in salads or cooking.

Smells
Put a variety of herbs and spices in separate jars so the children can smell each one eg: Herbs: sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil, oregano, dill, spearmint. Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, turmeric, paprika.

Food Art
Use potatoes, apples, carrots, capsicum etc. Cut designs into the food (such as a cross, circle, square or triangle), paint the shapes with brightly coloured paint and press the food onto paper to create beautiful pictures. Also collages can be made with macaroni which comes in different shapes and colours and is easy to glue onto paper.

Food Music
Fill jars or bottles with beans or rice and secure the lid. These can be used as castanets to make different sounds. Also jars can be filled with different amounts of liquid and when hit with a spoon or stick, will make different pitch sounds.

Excursions
Places to visit could include farms, markets, bakeries, butchers and supermarkets. Activities can be done following the excursion such as sampling the foods at the particular place visited and a discussion of the importance of the particular type of food.