Summer bring a welcome change of pace after the frenzy of year-end shows, school field trips and, for some of the older kids, exams. Whether your kids are 3, 13, or 23, I bet there are at least a few of the activities below you haven’t done yet. Why not put a few on your summer bucket list? Add your own favorite fun food things to do with kids in summer in the comments.
- Sprout some kale or chard seeds and watch them grow. Here’s a tutorial.
- Pick dandelion greens and make a salad (or pesto!)
- Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. Every week, let each child choose a veggie from the box and have them decide on a dish to make around it. Here are a few CSA programs in the USA and Canada.
- Grow basil or parsley in containers.
- Create a “summer snack station”: Clear a kid-accessible shelf in your kitchen and stack it with healthy vegan snacks. Let your kids help themselves!
- Find your town’s best spot to pick blackberries. Remember: if you have to give more than a gentle tug, it’s not ripe!
- Hold a blind taste test: are green beans better than yellow beans?
- Learn about your region’s edible plants and go foraging in a nearby forest with a knowledgeable friend
- Plant some pollinator-friendly flowers that are native to your region
- Invite 11 friends to the park, have a Ladybug Picnic and run potato-sack races
- Make a smoothie blind taste test bar: add small portions of steamed cauliflower or carrots to some and let the kids try and guess which.
- Hit the u-pick blueberry or raspberry field (wear dark clothing!)
- Let them roll the dough for cherry pies
- Create a kid food show and post to YouTube
- Add edible flowers to ice cubes for fancy drinks
- Create layered ice pops with your favorite combinations of colorful fruit
- Volunteer for a day of work at a farm animal sanctuary (call ahead and bring a vegan picnic)
- Borrow a friend’s dehydrator and make the most interesting fruit leather roll-ups.
Love it? Pin it!
