As part of the research for my forthcoming book, I’ve spent the last few weeks re-reading years and years of old TLT blog posts, a mind-blowing (and, at times, cringe-inducing!) experience. Anyway, the other day I came across this post, which I’d totally forgotten about: “Really? 20% of Kids Surveyed Think Pasta Comes From an Animal.”
That shocking headline refers to a 2012 study of kids in Australia, but Australia is hardly alone when it comes to children’s lack of food literacy. For example, some of you may recall the first season of chef Jamie Oliver’s American television show, Food Revolution, in which he found that most first graders in a West Virginia elementary school couldn’t identify by sight even the most common fruits and vegetables.
Knowing what real food is – and where it comes from – is critically important foundational knowledge if we want to foster healthy eating habits in our kids. So I was interested to learn of a new iPad app from the Center for Ecoliteracy, commissioned by the Whole Kids Foundation. It’s called “Starting with Soil” and it’s described as “a playful, visually rich way to help kids understand that soil is a living system full of fascinating relationships.”
Now, I know an app about soil might not sound that exciting, but trust me – this material is charmingly executed and the illustrations are just gorgeous. Here are some screen shots to give you an idea:
A perfect little educational interlude when your kids have too much summer downtime! You can watch a video about the app and download it here.
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