Food Scavenger Hunt

We love to incorporate play with food. Playing with food sometimes has a bad connotation and is considered by some to be impolite. However, we think playing with food can be a great way to introduce new foods in a low-pressure, safe, and fun way. It takes the pressure off of mealtimes, allows kids to explore all the food with all their senses, and increases their likelihood of trying new foods and eating healthier.

We put together this food scavenger hunt to get your kids exploring food outside of mealtimes. They’ll be asked to find food based on color, taste, and texture. It includes finding foods they like and food they don’t, increasing their exposure to all kinds of food. You can use this as a one-off activity, or you could use this as a starting point and then:

• Ask them to make a snack out of some of their choices

• Ask them to make a face or plate artwork out of their choices

• If you know they haven’t tried many of their choices, ask them to smell each one and describe the smell. Then, have them taste each one and describe their taste. Make sure they know they don’t have to eat the whole thing and that they can spit it out if they don’t like it.

Re-do the activity at different times and see how their choices change! Try it before grocery shopping and then after. Try it after each grocery shopping with different items. You can even try it at the grocery store and let them pick one thing to bring home.