Tag: fun
Explore, Educate and Eat
Food education is at the forefront of most parents’ minds and is fast becoming a core subject on the school curriculum. I am not surprised there is so much focus on teaching nutrition to children from a young age. Children who learn about food and nutrition are more likely to make healthy food choices and eat fruit and vegetables.
The best and most simple way to get your children thinking about food and nutrition is to get them involved. Here are some simple, daily activities you can do with your children to expand their knowledge about food and make learning fun.
Start with fruit and vegetables
Buy a selection of both and play simple question and answer games that your children will find interesting and educational. What is it? How is it grown? Where does it come from? Could you grow it in your garden or on an allotment?
Experiment
During the week sit down and eat each fruit and vegetable with your children. Talk about whether you can eat it fresh or if it needs to be cooked first. What does it taste like? What colour is it? Ask your children to come up with as many meal ideas as they can that include this fruit or vegetable.
Go green
An easy and engaging project is to try growing fruit, vegetables and herbs with your children. Even if you’re not green fingered, give it a go! All children love to be outside and will learn from the experience of growing something they can eat, plus you could save money growing your own.
Visit a Farmer’s Market
Have a family day out and let your children discover where food comes from and how it is grown. Talk to the growers about their produce and sample the fresh food on offer.
Create
Involve your children in the preparation of their lunch box using fresh ingredients. Cook simple meals and get your children to help where they can, even if they’re simply watching you and talking about what you’re doing. Sit down as a family and enjoy your home cooked food together.
Explore nutrition
Teach your children about the importance of nutrition for a healthy mind and body. Explain why fresh is best.
If you follow these simple steps your children will soon start to take a keen interest in fresh foods and helping you to prepare and cook meals. Regular interaction with food as part of your everyday home life will encourage children to make the right choices for their health.
Lydia Oliver – Nutritional Advisor Only Best For Baby
This article was published in the August 2013 edition of Mummy and Me Magazine.
I offer one to one nutrition programmes for breastfeeding, post pregnancy weight loss, weaning, weight management and health. Contact me.
Natural History Museum
We went to the Natural History Museum last week in South Kensington, London. Hubby and I thought it would be a fun day out for us all on Imogen’s 2nd Birthday and the museum certainly didn’t disappoint a two year old who loves animals!
We highly recommend the Museum as an educational and fun family day out in London.
Imogen had her first journey on the London Underground Tube from Tower Hill to South Kensington. As a city girl born and bred she climbed into her seat and waited to go.
Imogen loved showing Mummy and Daddy the animals in the museum. There was plenty of finger pointing as Imogen went around and highlighted the incredible animals she saw.
The Dinosaur exhibition was very exciting with several moving replicas of dinosaurs including a T.rex. After closing her eyes initially when she saw the T.rex she then warmed to it when we named it ‘Mummy Dinosaur’ and she asked to see it again!
The amazing display of large Mammals includes a Blue Whale, the largest creature ever.
Inside the Creepy Crawlies exhibition we found spiders, beetles, crabs, butterflies, scorpions and many other species. And there were some extra big specimens!
The Natural History Museum building is a work of art with stunning architecture inside and out. The building was completed in 1880 and the museum first opened in 1881. The Museum is open every day from 10am but is closed from 24 to 26 December.
It’s A Dad Thing
Imogen holding Daddy’s finger
It warms my heart to see so many Dad’s taking an active role in the lives of their children. And why shouldn’t they? Parenting is about caring for your children, whether you’re the Mum or the Dad.
And it’s only natural that Dad’s will often have a different approach to parenting than Mum’s.
Playing rough and tumble, kicking balls around the house, forgetting to put the toys back in the box, leaving baby clothes strewn on the floor and perhaps not getting quite so caught up in the daily routine as Mum would like.
But it all adds up to new experiences for your child and this can only be of benefit to your children as they learn about different approaches to life.
That said, I still find myself having to bite my tongue when I desperately want to remind my husband that our baby eats lunch at 12pm and needs two naps a day!
