Kid Tip: Tap your Kid's Inner Explorer

Today's Tip Sponsored by Melanie Potock &:

Want to know how kids learn about food?  They use all their senses. 

An outstanding researcher, Dr. A. Jean Ayres, introduced the theory of Sensory Integration over 40 years ago, explaining how a multitude of sensory input flows into the brain to be sorted and organized for learning.  She said “Sensory integration puts it all together.  Imagine peeling and eating an orange.  You sense the orange through your eyes, nose, mouth, the skin on your hands and fingers, and also the muscles and joints inside your fingers, hands, arms, and mouth…All the sensations from the orange and all the sensations from your hand and fingers somehow come together in one place in your brain” which allows you to make decisions on how to peel and eat the orange. 

So, here’s a tip: Get your kids involved in preparing the food for mealtimes.  Garden.  Get messy – make a yogurt finger painting.  Experience food via all of your senses.  It leads to trying new tastes and healthier eating.  Enjoy!

Read More:

How to Teach Your Kids About the Joy of Food

Comments

[Purple Asparagus]

Melanie, great post. We draw on this concept calling our program Delicious Nutritious Adventures and our students healthy food explorers. It's so important to make food worthy of explanation.

[Melanie Potock]

Hi Purple Asparagus! Thank you! I'll be in Chicago a few times this year presenting ... we really must get together over a plate of veggies!