Delicious and Nutritious Garden Update - June 29

Last week Y Campers painted a garden sign, birdhouses, and flags to add color to the garden. Take a minute to check out the garden with your kids.

Week 3

• Three weeks after planting the garden, it was time to weed. Kids learned how to tell the difference between weeds (mainly grasses) and their plants.
• This week kid’s tasted tested strawberries and we talked about the many ways we can eat strawberries
• Kids learned that out of every 100 insects, there are only 2-3 bad or harmful insects to the garden. Master Gardener, Pat Mack brought in insects for the kids to see. She also taught them how to manage the bad insects in their garden by putting them in a yellow bucket with soapy water.
• Kids also enjoyed getting dirty when they learned about the three types of particles in soil: sand, silt, and clay.

Helpful Tip
Eating the same fruits and vegetables every day can get boring. Bring home a new fruit or vegetable to try with your family or let your kids choose the new fruit or vegetable for the week! Remember it often takes 10-15 exposures before kids will like a new food.

Take Home Challenge
Take time to involve your kids in meal preparation. You may be surprised by their willingness to try the food they helped create.

Banana Berry Pancakes (Serves 4)

• 1 large banana, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup complete pancake mix
• 1/2 cup water
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1½ cups fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries