Farm to Preschool in Jump Start (see photos below)
During second semester Jump Start preschool students are participating in Farm to Preschool. We'd like to provide some background information about the Farm and Preschool Program and how and why we plan to incorporate it in Jump Start. As always, please contact us if you have any questions (or great ideas!) to share.
Why preschool?
· Children consume the majority of their daily nutrients in preschool and/or childcare
· Strategy for fighting childhood obesity (25% of children entering kindergarten are obese)
· Teaches food and environmental literacy
· Children rely on parents and teachers to create food/activity environments
· Early patterns determine later eating habits
Goals of the Program
1. Children will become more connected to the foods they eat and where they come from
* By offering frequent, positive and varied experiences with healthy foods, children will become more familiar with and able to enjoy healthy foods.
2. Children’s taste preference towards healthy foods will be influenced
*The preschool years are a critical time for developing lifelong eating habits
3. Families will increase their knowledge about the foods they eat, how to prepare them, and consume more healthy foods in the home environment.
*The home environment is a critical piece of children’s access to healthy foods and influences their food preferences and eating habits. Parent engagement is crucial!
What will it look like in Jump Start?
Each month a different food will be featured in the Jump Start classroom. Throughout the month students will participate in an introduction activity, taste testing, additional food experiences, a celebration (parents will be invited to enjoy a healthy snack with us each month), and other related math, science, literacy and art activities.
How can you help?
Please consider supporting our Farm to Preschool activities in some of the following ways:
· Join us for our celebration day at the end of each month
· Visit the classroom and help us cook a healthy snack with the month’s featured food
· Send in related recipes that we could add to our preschool cook book
· Donate the food of the month for students to enjoy (Farm to Preschool encourages families to buy locally, but this is certainly not required – we greatly appreciate any healthy snack donations!)
· Share ideas for engaging activities related to the food of the month (think literacy, math, science, social studies and the arts – we love your input/ideas!)
Each month we will send information home related to the food of the month and our preschool activities. This information will include fun recipes, information about the food, suggestions of where to buy the food locally, and updates on the activities we are doing in Jump Start to encourage healthy food choices.
January’s featured food is Yogurt!
During second semester Jump Start preschool students are participating in Farm to Preschool. We'd like to provide some background information about the Farm and Preschool Program and how and why we plan to incorporate it in Jump Start. As always, please contact us if you have any questions (or great ideas!) to share.
Why preschool?
· Children consume the majority of their daily nutrients in preschool and/or childcare
· Strategy for fighting childhood obesity (25% of children entering kindergarten are obese)
· Teaches food and environmental literacy
· Children rely on parents and teachers to create food/activity environments
· Early patterns determine later eating habits
Goals of the Program
1. Children will become more connected to the foods they eat and where they come from
* By offering frequent, positive and varied experiences with healthy foods, children will become more familiar with and able to enjoy healthy foods.
2. Children’s taste preference towards healthy foods will be influenced
*The preschool years are a critical time for developing lifelong eating habits
3. Families will increase their knowledge about the foods they eat, how to prepare them, and consume more healthy foods in the home environment.
*The home environment is a critical piece of children’s access to healthy foods and influences their food preferences and eating habits. Parent engagement is crucial!
What will it look like in Jump Start?
Each month a different food will be featured in the Jump Start classroom. Throughout the month students will participate in an introduction activity, taste testing, additional food experiences, a celebration (parents will be invited to enjoy a healthy snack with us each month), and other related math, science, literacy and art activities.
How can you help?
Please consider supporting our Farm to Preschool activities in some of the following ways:
· Join us for our celebration day at the end of each month
· Visit the classroom and help us cook a healthy snack with the month’s featured food
· Send in related recipes that we could add to our preschool cook book
· Donate the food of the month for students to enjoy (Farm to Preschool encourages families to buy locally, but this is certainly not required – we greatly appreciate any healthy snack donations!)
· Share ideas for engaging activities related to the food of the month (think literacy, math, science, social studies and the arts – we love your input/ideas!)
Each month we will send information home related to the food of the month and our preschool activities. This information will include fun recipes, information about the food, suggestions of where to buy the food locally, and updates on the activities we are doing in Jump Start to encourage healthy food choices.
January’s featured food is Yogurt!