Discovery is part of learning and exploring foods is no different. But how do we offer opportunities for our kids to try new tastes, textures and combinations? Whilst we are busy preparing and cooking foods, it can be very frustrating when the kids don’t want to eat what you have slaved over. So how do we expand our children’s food profiles beyond their ‘safe’ meals?

Our Mini Mojos Holiday Club is all about nurturing children as they grow. We offer lots of enriching activities, one being a food discovery zone. The children help to prepare food which they then enjoy together with the rest of the kids and crew at the club. Here they can try new foods in a safe environment, taking risks, making choices and building opinions around their new found discoveries. This whole journey helps to develop the children’s self-esteem, confidence and resilience.

In the summer term, we teamed up with FareShare South West who supplied lots of interesting foods to our holiday clubs.
We had our weekly delivery laid out on a table, and the children each have their own shopping bag to fill with both known and novel foods, making sure it is all shared out fairly. These bags get sent home with each child as a food parcel for their family, and has caused the kids to get stuck in with trying new things at home and helping out in the kitchen, what a bonus!
To read their blog, simply click the link: https://faresharesouthwest.org.uk/exploring-new-food-in-a-safe-environment/

It’s always great to get the kids involved in preparing and cooking foods as they learn so much; exploring how they feel to touch, how they smell and taste. Involving them in the process helps them to not judge a book by its cover! They also learn a whole range of developmental skills too like how to use tools correctly, spacial awareness, coordination, responsibility, language, safety and self-care.

For more info on our holiday clubs visit our holiday clubs page. Let’s challenge the kids together: sometimes the green ones do taste good!