Give Peas a Chance

Children (and indeed, many adults too) are not renowned for their fondness for vegetables. However, there is something that kids are extremely keen on and that is playing with their food. So, how to combine the two, you may ask? I could sit here for hours and reel off fun ways for you and the little angels to cover the kitchen in flour and carrot peelings (and there is certainly a time and a place for this), but in reality you want your house to not be sticky to the touch every day and your children to be out from underfoot when you’re trying to make a quick tea.

Fortunately, the market has realised this and come up with an array of lovely playthings which will hopefully warm your child to the prosepect of veggies whilst keeping them clean and occupied.

Try starting them from the earliest age possible with a sweet little Baby Carrot Cube. At an age where everything goes straight from hand to mouth, try getting them in the habit of putting some thing good in there! I am currently trying this with my little girl…whether it works or not, I shall let you know!

For the older children, take the opportunity to get them involved in the actual production of the foods. I’m not suggesting you let them loose with pans of boiling carrots, oh no, but try getting them at ground level (literally!) with this lovely little vegetable garden - no actual garden required.

The slightly older or more scientifically-minded child might be interested in this growing kit which is effectively a step up from the beans-in-a-jar-with-blotting-paper that we all know and love. Even a one-bed flat can be equipped with a window box or similar in which to grow spring onions, herbs, baby carrots and the like. And your fur babies can join in with these Catnip Carrots.

Failing this, I’m sure your neighbour with the immaculate house/mother in law would absolutely love to play Ready Steady Cook with your little ones - and you can order pizza.