How can we avoid raising picky eaters? One of the best methods is exposure to new foods at an early age. The more we expose our children to different foods, especially healthy ones such as vegetables, the more our kids will want to try them.
Sometimes the best way to expose your children to vegetables is to make the veggies fun, and fortunately, it’s easy to use produce for crafts. The following three fun vegetable stamping projects for kids provide great ideas for getting started with creative veggie exposure. It’s not a bad idea to play with your food, after all!
Rhubarb Roses
Rhubarb is a beautiful spring vegetable, but many kids are hesitant to try it. Introduce them to this pink vegetable with crafts first to help ease them into the idea of eating it.
The bottom part of a rhubarb stalk is reminiscent of flower petals, so you can use the stalks to make rose art. Pour paint onto a plate or similar flat surface and give each child a rhubarb stalk and a canvas. Instruct the children to dip the wider end of the stalk into the paint and then press it to their paper. Do this repeatedly to create roses.
Carrot Critters
Some kids don’t like the crunchy texture of carrots at first. However, they will appreciate the firmness as a stamp during craft time.
Gather baby carrots since they’re easier for small hands to hold. Cut one end off to create a circular stamp. You can cut another carrot lengthwise to create a rectangular stamp. These stamps will create the bodies of various critters, such as spiders, ladybugs, and snails.
Provide paint in an appropriate color on a flat surface. Give each child a carrot stamp and a canvas. Instruct them to dip the stamp into the color for their critter. Allow the paint to dry, then draw additional features, such as black dots on red ladybugs or legs on spiders. If they want to create a mythical creature, add fun details such as dry macaroni noodle horns or sparkly mica powder fur. Using mica powder in craft projects is just one way to encourage children’s imaginations and their veggie tolerance.
Potato Porcupines
Potatoes are a popular root vegetable, and many kids eat them without complaint. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t help your kids get to know their food better through crafts.
Potato porcupines are a fun way to explore the inside of a potato. Cut a small potato in half and give each half to a child. Pour paint onto a flat surface, such as a plate. While porcupines are mostly brown or black, you can use other colors for more fun. Instruct each child to dip their potato stamp into the paint and then press it onto their canvas. Once their circular stamp is dry, they can use markers or other craft supplies to create the signature porcupine spikes.
These three vegetable stamping projects for kids are fun yet simple. All you need are vegetables, paints, and canvases of your choice to get creative and encourage veggie exposure. You can try additional stamp art projects with other vegetables as well as fruits to keep the exposure momentum going.
