Preschoolers Learn about Healthy Eating Through Hands-On Activities
Children at Linda Poikonen’s site enjoyed watering the garden using their own kid-sized watering cans.
This spring, eight home-based child care
providers spent their Saturday learning how to promote and provide more healthy
eating options to the infants and children in their care. The training, Early
Sprouts, is a nutrition curriculum designed to get preschoolers to eat more
vegetables by growing, harvesting and preparing organically grown foods. Two volunteers
from the Carver-Scott Extension Master Gardener program also presented on how
to start a raised bed garden and harvest produce all season long. Carver County SHIP funded the training as well
as garden supplies for the attendees to plant their own gardens.
Each participant went home with a 2x4 foot cedar raised bed and a gift
card to the Mustard Seed at Halla Nursey to get their garden started. The Mustard
Seed, a local business, has been a supporter of SHIP for several years, and
they assisted providers in purchasing seeds, plants and soil for the new
gardens. The providers used their new
skills to plant, harvest, and prepare vegetables with the children.
Carver County SHIP staff visited six of the garden sites to
collect stories and evaluations late this summer. Dawn Minor of Dawn’s Daycare
said, “The kids have enjoyed the process of gardening and watching the
vegetables grow. Most have tried the vegetables we picked so far!” Many
providers offered the vegetables through taste testing activities which
encouraged the kids to try new foods.
Everett and Malone show off their PoP Club purchases—a melon and Brussels sprouts.
The SouthWest Metro Chamber of Commerce partnered with Carver
County SHIP to start the Power or Produce (PoP) Club at the Chaska Downtown
Farmers Market this summer.
The PoP Club is a farmers market incentive program for kids ages
4-12. Each week, kids get a two dollar token to spend on fresh vegetables,
fruits and food plants from local farmers. The program aims to promote
healthier eating behaviors among children, support local farmers and increase
family attendance at farmers markets. SouthWest Metro Chamber staff signed participants up and passed out tokens at 11 market days this summer.
PoP was a great success during its first year. Over 225 kids used
tokens to purchase various types of produce, including Brussels sprouts,
melons, strawberries, carrots and more from 11 local vendors. Molly Wolf, a parent of two participants,
said, “We have loved this program. It has been an incentive for us to come down
on Wednesdays” and purchase other items from vendors.
On October 4, Chanhassen High School
students and staff participated in Walk and Bike to School Day- a movement that
is gaining momentum nationwide.
Walking and biking to school provides a great
way for students to increase their daily physical activity. Events, such as the
one at the high school, promote activity in a fun and engaging way.
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