October: Pumpkins Please!

 

Okay. So we garden right? We garden to grow food. But whoever said we can't play with our food? Okay, okay... so maybe that is sometimes appropriate. Not here though. We grow our food and of course we should handle it, love it, and from time to time play with it. What better time than pumpkin season I ask you? This is one of my favorite times of year. I love encouraging children to eat fruits and vegetables and getting their hands on food is sometimes the best solution. Studies have shown that children are more likely to eat better if they are actively participating in the preparation of it. Get them involved! Allow them to plant a seed, watch it grow, and devour its goodness when ripe. You know what I'm sayin?

Pumpkins are so much fun for the kiddos. They get to explore food in a different way. They become hands on and that is exactly what we did with this beautiful fall day. We did the traditional carving for Halloween but we also talked about ways to eat pumpkins, and trust me... there are loads of ways to dig your teeth into them good ole' pumpkins! Did I mention that your children are more likely to eat something they can participate in making?

After carving our pumpkins today we decided what we would do to eat this yummy stuff. The kids decided on roasted pumpkin seeds and I agreed that sounded yummy!

The moral of the story? We can use gardening as a tool to get our children to eat better. And of course it is okay to taste nature's goodness and enjoy a slice too every once and awhile. Most importantly get your kids involved in growing food. It is an important and vital resource to life. Oh and it sure does get fun, sticky, and yummy from time to time.

PS. Don't forget to save some of those yummy seeds to plant again next year kiddos! Happy Fall!

Pumpkin is our plant of the month!