Using vegetables to help young children create seasonal art
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EmailChildren learn to appreciate vegetables in a fun and creative way.
Being able to teach young children about fruits and
vegetables in a school environment takes a certain amount of panache. Debra Studebaker, a nutrition program instructor in Oakland County has that panache. Studebaker has taught over 186 young children (HeadStart and preschool age) to enjoy the taste, touch and smell of fruits and vegetables.
Using Show Me Nutrition, Studebaker has used activities in the curriculum and created some of her own to teach the children to appreciate fruits and vegetables. She has brought in different
vegetables to show the children how they look in their natural state. Children also learn how to properly clean a vegetable to prepare it for consumption by using cold water and a veggie scrub brush. Afterwards, she has precut vegetables and lets the children sample them. Some of the vegetables that Studebaker has introduced the students to have included rutabaga, squash and parsnips.
Studebaker also uses vegetables to help the children create art. In the photo shown, the children used the carrots to create orange pumpkins and their fingers to paint green stems on their unique pumpkins. This activity was to help reinforce the
lesson the children had just learned, “What is a Fruit vs. a Vegetable?” The lesson was accompanied by reading the book Oliver’s Vegetables.
The next time you want to introduce vegetables to your child take some tips from Studebaker and make them fun, interesting and creative.
For more information visit: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/vegetables.html
