October 20-24th
Pumpkin Guts!
This week in Nutrition Expedition, we learned how pumpkins grow, explored it's "guts", and harvested/roasted it's seeds! I read the book, From Seed to Pumpkin, by Wendy Pfeffer, and we discussed the process of how a pumpkin begins as a tiny seed, which in turn becomes a plant that eventually produces the round, orange squash!
The older children enjoyed exploring the pumpkin guts with their hands, and picking out the seeds so that I could roast them for snack! We discussed the health benefits of seeds, and what they do for our bodies (magnesium to keep our heart healthy, omega-3 to help our brain development, zinc to keep us from getting sick, fiber to help our tummy digest food, etc.). After, I baked them with a little salt at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Ms. Kathy G. also made delicious spaghetti squash for lunch this week, so I roasted the seeds from that so the children could compare them to the pumpkin seeds!
The infants and toddlers enjoyed peeking inside the pumpkin, and squishing the "guts" through a ziploc bag. It was very interesting to see their reactions! We also read the book You Are My Little Pumpkin Pie, by Amy E. Sklansky.
Also, we tried out our new workout DVD, Fit Factor Kidz! Thank you to the family who donated it to our program; you know who you are ;)! The kids really enjoyed the animal exercises!
Check back early next week for a special blog edition on "Michigan Apple Crunch Day"! I'm sure you'll hear all about it from your children over the weekend!
