It is school summer holidays here which means my five year old is home and I’m looking for ideas to keep her engaged and learning.
Camp is often the first choice for keeping children entertained since it provides different learning opportunities including excursions. After these full days of camp then the other activities begin with several nights of baseball, soccer, or lessons of some sort.
This creates days that are long and sometimes stressful.
Who am I kidding? It’s just like the rest of the year! We have just replaced school with camp and indoor activities with outdoor. We are always busy. And what happens when we are busy? We eat out more.
Dr. Yoni Freedhoff of Weighty Matters discusses in his blog post how a major after-school lesson is missing: how to cook. “For the first time in history the average American family is spending more money in restaurants than they are in grocery stores.”
I’m not surprised with all the rushing we do. When does one have time to cook? Perhaps we should be adding it to our schedules as if it was a class? Wouldn’t the children get more out of a cooking lesson than another night of structured activity? And wouldn’t your wallet like it too?!? Eating is a necessity and preparing food is a Life Lesson.
We have tried to encourage time in the kitchen from an early age. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed having my toddler in a half day garden camp this past week. She had the opportunity to plant, pick, and taste a variety of vegetables and to create a curiosity and appreciation about food.
Sadly, they don’t run the garden program past age five. Here is an idea for someone out there that has the land and the skill: Farm to Table Camp. A program where children (and adults too!) can not only learn how to grow the food but cook it too. I’m sure a winery component for the adults would make it a great success.
In the comments, please share your thoughts and ideas that have helped you SPROUT some BALANCE! And remember to follow us and SPROUT a conversation on Twitter – @sproutbalance – and Facebook!
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