Monday, July 25, 2011

Widgets

Farmer's Market Scavenger Hunt

Oh my, how we love to eat peaches in the summertime! Try as we might, the grocery store peaches are never fresh, sweet, and dribble-juice-down-your-chin juicy.   One of the best ways to find good peaches no matter where we are in the US is to find a local Farmer's Market.  So this summer, while visiting family in Central Illinois, we decided to check one out.

We like to go to the farmer's market for fresh fruit, veggies, and baked goods.  Getting to sample all of the locally-grown produce is our favorite.  For example, I would have passed by the sweetest blueberries I have ever had if my 2-year-old had not reached for the sample.  YUM!

The Farmer's Market can be such a great learning experience for the kids too.  We like to discuss where the items were grown and we talk to the farmers about their produce.  We take our time to try the samples.

I like to encourage my kids to pick one new fruit or vegetable that they have never had before and we will try it in a new recipe at home - it's a great way to discover new foods!


This visit, we gave the kids cash from some "chores" they had done at Grandma & PaPa's house and allowed them the chance to explore.  Those kids took it all in, looking at all the vibrant colors, to find exactly what they wanted to purchase.  One choose a bright yellow marigold to put on Grandma's front porch and the other chose the biggest cookie he could get his hands on.


Another fun idea I have found that we will try on our next visit to a Farmer's Market is a scavenger hunt like this one:
  • Find one red fruit that you haven't had before.  What is it?
  • Find one green veggie that you haven't had before.  What is is?
  • Taste an organic strawberry and a conventionally-grown (non-organic) one.  Which one tastes better to you?
  • Find a red food that is bigger than your fist.  What is it?
  • Ask 3 people if a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable.  What do you think it is? (It's a fruit!)
  • Find a purple food with an interesting shape.  What is it?
  • Find 3 kinds of baked items.  What did you find?
  • Find something that grows on a vine/underground/tree.
  • Ask 4 farmers what they like to grow the most.  What is their favorite fruit or vegetable?
  • Find peaches sold by 2 different vendors.  What is the difference in price?
  • What is the most interesting thing that you found for sale today at the Farmer's Market?
This would be my answer to the last question:
Anyone up for some Frog Jam?

I'd love to hear your best practices or any interesting stories you might have visiting a Farmer's Market.  Leave us a comment!

**Thanks to What's Cooking with Kids for the Scavenger Hunt inspiration.

3 comments:

Connie said...

We never have a plan when we visit the farmers market...but i am looking for pickling cucumbers.

bill said...

I seriously need to try that peach jalapeno jam. The frog jam looks interesting also, but I cannot read what the ingredients are.

Jen said...

what a neat idea to do a scavenger hunt.