4 Fun things to do with the kids at home in the school holidays.

1. BAKING

It’s always a great opportunity to get kids involved in the kitchen. Don’t stress too much if they want to start with a slightly more “sugary” recipe - at least it gets them involved and off and running in the kitchen.

Substitute with wholemeal flour wherever possible - you can buy both SR or plain wholemeal flour. Because they both still contain wheat, the texture won’t be affected and the recipe will still turn out well, it’s just healthier!

I also recommend adding a tablespoon of flaxseed (ground), chia or hemp seeds where possible to boost the nutritional value.

Baking is a fun way to incorporate basic maths - measuring out the ingredients.

Find some of my tasty nutrient packed recipes HERE.

2. GARDENING

There’s a reason why you feel good outside in nature. Being amongst mother nature benefits both our physical and mental well being. For children, the benefits of being outdoors are significant. Nature play has clear physical benefits for developing children and positively impacts their well being.

Gardening is a fantastic opportunity to connect with nature. Science supports us getting our hands dirty. Research shows that it can support a healthy immune system (gut microbiome) - a Finnish study showed that children who spend time in forest dirt had better immune system regulation.

Perhaps try planting some vegetable seeds into an old egg carton…. or buying some herb seedlings and planting them in a little pot. I know I will be the one watering them most of the time… and they may or may not survive long term, but it will still be a worthwhile exercise!

3. MAKING FUN FACES OUT OF FOOD

M y daughter really loved doing this at school recently. She came home so excited about trying raw onion and loving it. The students grated carrot, zucchini, onion (and probably other vegies) together with chopping capsicum and cauliflower. In addition they used sultanas for eyes.

They had a great time making faces on a plate. There was absolutely no pressure to eat the vegies, just have fun (which is probably exactly why they were more likely to try them!). This is a great way to increase children’s sensory experiences (and then probably acceptance) with vegies in a non pressurised environment.

Use whatever you have at home and give it a go!

For children who have the opposite issue - don’t eat fruit, you could do this with fresh fruit.

4. BLINDFOLD GAME

This is a great way to get your child to try new foods in a fun environment - but they have to be up for it.

If you think they will enjoy it, grab a blindfold (or tea towel tied behind the head), a plate and 8 small pieces of food and give it a go! Get them to taste each food and guess what it is before moving onto the next.

I’m positive that they will also have a great time creating a blindfold plate for you :) :) :)

For the first round, I would include 8 foods that they know, like and trust.

For the second round, I would include 5 foods that they know like trust and 3 foods that you would like them to try or that they haven’t had huge exposure to.

Have fun, take care and stay well!

Karina xx