Summer is a great time to focus on fruit and vegetable activities with kids!! Summer fruits and vegetables are bright and colorful, sweet and flavorful and of course loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Field Trips

How about taking the kids on a field trip to the local Farmer's Market or produce market. To find a farmer's market in your area, go to: www.pugetsoundfresh.com.

As you walk along the stalls have the kids identify the different fruits and vegetables. Discuss which parts of the plants are edible: roots (carrots, beets, radishes), stems (celery, asparagus), leaves (lettuce, spinach, cabbage), fruit (cucumbers, squash, peppers, tomatoes), flowers (broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke) and seeds (corn, peas, green beans).

Purchase some uncommon fruits and vegetables. Have the kids research them and come up with some recipes for cooking them. Plan a cooking activity the next day using the fruits and vegetables you purchased.

Cooking Activities

Try these healthful cooking activities with kids:

Mini Pizzas
English muffin or bagel halves, prepared pizza or pasta sauce, vegetable toppings (sliced mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli florets), grated part-skim mozzarella cheese.


Yogurt Sundaes
Layer lowfat vanilla yogurt, fresh summer fruit in season, granola or chopped nuts and seeds in a small cup and eat with a spoon.

Magenta Vegetable Dip
Blend together one 8 oz. can pickled beets with 1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt and 1/2 cup diced red onions for a delicious and colorful vegetable dip! Serve with summer veggies such as zucchini strips, pepper slices, jicama wedges or snap peas. Kids will love the color!!

Gardening with Children

Gardening with children can be a wonderful learning opportunity. Children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables that they have grown themselves. If you are interested in learning about gardening with children please contact the WSU Master Gardener at http://gardening.wsu.edu.