Fun way to get children interested in trying new food

January 11, 8:59 AMEarly Childhood Parenting ExaminerAngele Sionna

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Here’s a fun way to get kids interested in trying new foods, hone their critical thinking and writing skills, and create fun family together time: let your kids become local food critics. 

Here’s how:

• Set up family guidelines and a ratings system. They can be whatever you choose, just stress the need for consistency. A good restaurant ratings system has several categories like food quality, value, and price. You can add as many as you want.
• Go to restaurants. Try new things. Strategize what you will all order so you try different things. Talk about the food. Document your experience with photos and notes. Put one child (if old enough) in charge of writing it all down. Another can be in charge of the camera. If too young to do a good job, mom and dad can have these roles. You can go once a week or once a month, it doesn’t matter. You decide how your family will approach it.
• Back at home… later that day or week, everyone should get together and discuss the experience and rate the restaurant according to your ratings system.
• Younger children can put different color stars or stickers on a chart for each restaurant.
• Let older children be in charge of writing out the reviews to share with friends, neighbors, and family.
• You can email a monthly newsletter out to friends, neighbors, and family with your reviews. Or save them up, print copies, and give it to everyone for a truly thoughtful Christmas present from the whole family.