Growing Food ideas

Heidi Stein, the first SLP that worked with our family, would have tasting parties where we ate growing foods. She didn't discourage consumption of funk food -- but reminded us to balance it with things that help our brains, bones, and muscles grow. She taught us to have the food on a turn table, with each person at the party getting to choose one thing to go on the tray. Everyone had to try each item. You didn't have to swallow it, but you had to get it up to your lips, smell it, and try to touch it with your tongue. If you liked it, you could tell why. If you didn't, you could say, "No thank you" and put it on your plate to throw away later.

At the Bowling Party, I got some new ideas for growing food tasting parties -- fruit or vegetable art.

Healthy snacks were laid out on the tables when children arrived at the party at the J Lanes Bowling Alley in Salmon Arm. There were fruit ka-bobs sticking out of a pineapple, frozen yogurt tubes, and a vegetable tray that looked like a row of flowers in a garden. The tray was like a mosaic. Round cucumber slices were the petals of the flowers, with a cherry tomato at the center of each. The flower stalks were celery sticks, with basil leaves for the flower leaves. The grass was carrot sticks lining the bottom of the tray with the five vegetable flowers sticking out of the carrot grass. The fruit and yogurt did go much faster than the vegetables, but each child studied the vegetable tray carefully.

The party was a great success. The children bowled in two teams of six players. David knocked down the centre three pins on his first ball. The fathers were cheering him on, giving him high fives, and saying “Good job, Dave”. Some team members were highly competitive. David has not yet picked up the competitive streaks that are found in both of his parents. He celebrated each attempt at “bonking the pins” equally whether he had three gutter balls or took all five pins down.

Half way through the game the children stopped for pizza, juice, and a cake make in the shape of a light saber. Each cupcake was wrapped in a fruit roll up to help us imagine the laser end of the sword. Leaving behind empty pizza boxes, the pizza sauce and icing covered faces of the sugar-filled children returned to finish the other five rounds of the game. You would think all the energy produced by the junk food would have increased scores, but all the children were a little too wired and balls that had been rolled before along the floor were now flying a good three meters before hitting the lane and rolling into the gutters. The owners of the lane did not seem to flinch at the bouncing of the balls on the lanes. Their only rule was no food down by the lanes and wear bowling shoes.

It was a great location for a birthday party. As we left, David asked if he could take bowling lessons. I said, "definitely". Why not? I am guessing it will be cheaper than hockey in the long run which is another sport played by many of his peers. As a party favour, the children received a free pass to go to the local swimming pool. It was impressive party planning. Glad to have some great new ideas for David’s party next year for healthy treats and prizes.