Children learn about the origin of food through playing

Contact: karolina.aloisi@nordgen.org

 

Good eating habits are established early in life, and we can actively inspire children to taste new ingredients and foods by allowing them to be involved throughout the process, from growing to baking and cooking.

When children participate, the foundation is created for a positive dining experience and provides a concrete link to the origin and value of the food – which in the long run can contribute to more sustainable development for future generations. In cooperation with staff and children at Hamilton’s preschool in Helsingborg, NordGen has started a cultivation experiment. Together, we focus on and teach each other about food’s path from soil to table and the importance of genetic diversity from a child’s perspective. The idea is to expand the project in the coming years and involve children in more preschools from different Nordic countries.

Learning through playing

Our hope is that during the course, children will be able to take advantage of both practical aspects, which they themselves are responsible for, and obtain knowledge about cultivation, basic plant physiology and anatomy, and genetic diversity. The children will also document the course of events and use the newly acquired knowledge in various creative ways in which all five senses are challenged. We have chosen to focus on cereals as these, despite their rather insignificant exterior, make up a large part of our basic food and in addition, are both easily cultivated and have great cultural-historical value at northern latitudes.

The project has been developed by researchers at NordGen; Karolina Aloisi and Jan Svensson, in collaboration with meal educator Miljana Vulovic at Hamilton’s preschool in Helsingborg.