Learning about food at home during the Covid -19 emergency
As many of us find ourselves with a new role of ‘home educator’ you may have found that food related activities have naturally gained an important role in the curriculum.
From cooking, baking and growing your own food, there are lots of opportunities to try out new recipes and develop key skills in the process. Remember that at this time, the most important focus is the wellbeing of you and your family. This is an incredibly difficult period, during which more formal education may become impossible, so do try and relax about the activities you are providing. If your children and young people enjoy them, carry on! If not, don’t force it! However, most children love cooking as it is akin to playing!
Welsh Government support for parents and carers
Guidance to support you and your children during the period of school closures.
Public Health Wales – Staying well at home
Information and support from Public Health Wales to support your wellbeing during the isolation period.
https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/staying-well-at-home/
Daily Structure
Having some sort of structure in place every day around food will hopefully avoid constant requests (especially for unhealthy food!) Ideas:
Fruit and vegetable snack – this works best mid morning and/ or mid afternoon. You can encourage children to get involved in preparation and make sure they are washing their hands for 20 seconds.
Lunch – try the trick of only offering 2 options, both of which are healthy. Children can get involved again in preparation. Some good lunchtime ideas in the links below.
Baking – Always a great activity, even if you’ve never tried before.
Some online learning and recipe resources
British Nutrition Foundation – Resources and ideas for remote learning for all age groups and abilities. Also plenty of easy recipe ideas: https://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/whole-school/remote-learning/
Cooking Together – Recipes and Cook-a-longs – more added daily: https://www.cookingtogether.co.uk/recipe-hwb
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cookingtogetherwales/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cook_together1
Love Food Hate Waste – Great ideas with leftover food: https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/
Top Marks – Links to activities around healthy eating: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=healthy%20eating
Veg Power – ‘Get your kids eating more veg’. The website has resources that include downloads, reward charts, lesson plans with printable worksheets and activities. https://vegpower.org.uk/downloads/
Growing Food
Egg Seeds – Growing in a small space – Fantastic video showing how to create a growing area in a small space – even just in a bucket or on a windowsill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HNOH81Um
More resources on the Egg Seeds webpages: http://eggseeds.com/index.php
Botanic Garden of Wales – Growing the Future resources – Great ideas for growing vegetables in small containers including tins and cardboard boxes! https://botanicgarden.wales/science/growing-the-future/learning-at-home-and-at-school/
Other ideas:
- Buy local – maybe you’ll discover a new bakery or grocery store!
- Home-based food-themed scavenger hunt
- Fruit kebabs
- Fruit and vegetable poems, stories and games
- Share meals (including eating together!) with friends and family on video messaging services
- Fruit and vegetable diaries with aim of ‘5 a day’ – could include prize at the end of the week?
Free School Meals
Families with children who are eligible for free school meals should receive a voucher from the Local Authority, which can be redeemed at Asda or Tesco, depending on availability and your location. The vouchers will be sent via email or post on a fortnightly basis and are worth £39. This equates to a value of £3.90 a day, 5 days a week for 2 weeks. The vouchers are non-transferable and must be used to purchase food items for your children’s meals. Please contact the team with any urgent issues – EFSM@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk
Most up to date information here – https://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/our_council/press_and_communications/latest_news/Coronavirus/Coronavirus-Updates-2020.aspx