Creative activities that help children explore, taste, and love fruits and veggies

Introduction

Helping kids love plant foods isn’t about forcing vegetables — it’s about sparking curiosity.

In I Choose Plants from Dream Tree Publishing, Kai learns that plants come in all shapes, colors, and flavors — and that each one gives the body something special. Through rhyme and play, he discovers that healthy food isn’t boring; it’s full of energy, fun, and color!

You can bring that same sense of wonder into your home or classroom with simple, hands-on activities that turn eating plants into a joyful experience rather than a chore.

Why Kids Resist Plant Foods — and How to Help

It’s common for kids to prefer familiar foods or sweet flavors — that’s biology, not stubbornness.
Children’s taste buds are more sensitive, and new textures or bitter notes (like in greens) can be overwhelming at first.

The key isn’t pressure — it’s exposure and play.
When kids can see, touch, smell, and explore plants in fun ways, they’re more likely to try them voluntarily.

“Kids don’t need to be convinced — they need to be curious.”

1️⃣ The Rainbow Plate Challenge 🌈

Objective: Teach kids about variety and nutrition through color.

How it works:

Create a “rainbow meal” with at least five colors of fruits and veggies.
Examples:

• Red: Strawberries or tomatoes
• Orange: Carrots or sweet potatoes
• Yellow: Corn or bananas
• Green: Broccoli or peas
• Purple: Blueberries or beets

Make it a game — can they “collect” every color the end of the week?

Learning moment: Each color has unique nutrients and benefits, showing kids that food diversity = body strength.

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2️⃣ The “Taste Explorer” Game 🧑‍🍳

Objective: Help children try new plant foods in a safe, exciting way.

How it works:

• Choose 3–4 plant foods they haven’t tried yet.
• Blindfold them and let them guess taste, smell, or touch.
• Celebrate each correct guess and give a “taster badge” for bravery.

You can even keep a Taste Explorer Chart where they rate foods from 1–5 (“I love it!” to “Maybe later”).

This approach turns tasting into an adventure — no pressure, just play.

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3️⃣ Build Your Own Plant Bowl 🍚

Objective: Empower kids to choose and combine plant foods.

How it works:

Lay out options like:

• Grains (rice, quinoa, oats)
• Proteins (beans, tofu, lentils, edamame)
• Veggies (broccoli, corn, spinach, peppers)
• Sauces (tahini, tomato, lemon dressing)

Let kids build their own bowl — decorating it with colors and textures they love.
Ownership builds confidence and enthusiasm.

Bonus idea: Name each bowl (“Kai’s Power Plate,” “The Rainbow Rocket”).

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4️⃣ Plant Detective Activity 🕵️‍♀️

Objective: Teach kids where plant foods come from and how they grow.

How it works:

Choose five foods (like potatoes, apples, corn, lettuce, and beans).
Ask kids to match each food to its origin:

• “Does it grow underground, on a tree, or on a vine?”

This activity builds food awareness and connection to nature — helping kids appreciate the journey from soil to plate.

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5️⃣ Make Food Art 🎨

Objective: Encourage creativity and sensory exploration.

How it works:

Let kids make pictures or faces on their plates using fruits and veggies:

• Broccoli trees, cucumber wheels, tomato suns, blueberry eyes!
  Then let them “eat their art.”

Playful presentation helps overcome resistance — studies show kids eat up to 80% more vegetables when they’re presented creatively.

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6️⃣ Read, Rhyme, and Role-Play

Books like I Choose Plants make food learning emotional and relatable.
After reading, act out scenes or rhymes:

• “Who wants to be the broccoli hero?”
• “Who’s the avocado adventurer?”

Children learn through story and imitation, and connecting emotions to foods makes those lessons stick.

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7️⃣ Grow Something Together 🌱

Objective: Deepen the connection between plants and food.

Start a small indoor herb garden, sprout beans in a jar, or plant sunflowers outdoors.
Watching food grow builds pride and patience.

“Kids who grow food are five times more likely to eat it.”

Make it a family project — watering, measuring, and tracking progress each week.

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8️⃣ “Smoothie Science” Experiment 🧃

Objective: Show how plants combine to make something delicious.

Have kids choose ingredients and test different color combinations:

• Red = berries + banana + beet
• Green = spinach + mango + coconut milk
• Orange = carrots + pineapple + orange juice

Talk about why blending works — how each plant brings nutrients, flavor, and texture to the mix.

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Why These Activities Work

When kids explore food through play, they:

• Build positive emotions around healthy eating.
• Become open-minded and adventurous eaters.
• Learn science, art, and teamwork skills.
• Develop long-term habits rooted in curiosity, not fear.

I Choose Plants captures this same approach — inviting children to see food as fun, vibrant, and full of life.

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Turn healthy eating into a joyful exploration with
👉 I Choose Plants — a playful story that teaches kids how choosing plants means choosing kindness, energy, and growth.

Pair it with these creative activities for a full experience that blends story, science, and self-discovery. 🌿💛

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Relevant Articles :

“Why Teaching Kids About Plant-Based Eating Matters”

“How Eating Plants Helps the Planet (and Ourselves)”

🌱 Explore our Parent & Learning Resource Articles for more on kindness, empathy, leadership, and emotional growth.