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Celebrate the joy of food with your child
By Sandra Andino

Being thankful for the big and small things that happen to us each day is a gesture that we too often take for granted. As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this month, it is a good time for parents and caregivers to teach children the meaning of gratitude and the joy of giving and receiving by being thankful for the food they eat each day.

Children can learn this by helping parents or caregivers prepare food for the holidays, especially the Thanksgiving meal. Mealtimes can be a special moment to teach children that giving and receiving food is a way of giving and receiving love. By helping each other, children can learn that Thanksgiving is not only about being thankful for what we have, but learning about how we can give and help others. It is no coincidence that children's earliest experiences with food nourishment are also the first indications that someone cares and loves them.

View

Children can learn more about where our food comes from by watching Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood each weekday at 1 p.m. on WHYY TV12. During the week of November 24, join Mr. Rogers as he visits factories to see how different foods are made and helps his friend Chef Brockett make a healthy treat.

Chef's Hats Help your child pretend that he or she is one of the world's greatest chefs by creating these easy paper chef's hats for you and your children and wear them while cooking homemade vegetable soup.
What you'll need:
Strips of cardboard two inches wide and just a little larger than the size of each person's head
Tissue or crepe paper 20 inches by 30 inches (one piece for each hat)
Glue
Construction paper
Scissors

Instructions: Pleat a piece of tissue or crepe paper and glue the pleated edge to the cardboard. Join the cardboard band and the pleated paper with glue. Close the top of the hat by gluing a three-inch circle of construction paper to the open ends of the crepe paper.
Homemade Vegetable Soup Spread the joy of giving by cooking a heartfelt, warm vegetable soup to be shared with family, friends or to give to those who are less fortunate.
What You'll Need:
Beef or chicken broth (This can made from meat bones or purchased at the store.)
A variety of fresh vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peas, celery, beans, onions, carrots)
Noodles, rice, barley, or lentils
Seasonings (salt, pepper, herbs)
Large pot
Wooden or large plastic spoon
Peeler, scraper or knife

Instructions: While children help wash and dry the vegetables, you can talk about the colors, textures, and tastes of the different vegetables with them. Older children may be able to help peel or scrape the vegetables before you cut them into small pieces. Let the children add their own vegetables to the pot of broth. Add a handful of noodles, rice, barley, or dried lentils. Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer for about one hour. The children can add seasonings (salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, etc.) just before serving.

Read

Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert. Illustrated with bright, bold drawings, this simple book shows readers the steps, seeds, plants, and tools for growing a vegetable garden in preparation for vegetable soup. Recommended for school-aged children.
Food! by Sesame Workshop and Random House Publishers. This colorful, animated board book with photos and illustrations of all kinds of fruits, vegetables, breads and cheeses shows Elmo the joy and benefits of eating nutritious foods. This book is also available in Spanish. Recommended for preschool-aged children.