How was everyone’s long Labor Day weekend? Labor Day festivities truly are the last ‘hoorah’ of summer before it’s back to reality, and the fall semester kicks into full gear fast. If you’re a parent (turned teacher) or a full-time teacher and are looking for fun ways to engage the kiddos, we have a topic in mind that we think the littles will love!
We’re all getting extra creative with classroom ideas and daytime activities lately, and what’s more fun than playing – and learning – about food?! I love the idea educating our future generations about what they put in their bellies, and even how to grow it!
With apple harvest finally here, we thought it was only fitting to have an apple variety taste test experiment as part of our Back to School sweepstakes. If you’re looking to do this at home with your own kids, first start off by picking up your favorite Starr Ranch Growers apples at a store near you (at least 3 different varieties – meaning you can pick from varieties like honeycrisp, granny smith, gala, fuji, golden delicious, red delicious and more – totally your preference!) Grab a handful and place them in large bowls or baskets, and label each with the coinciding variety.
Next, make sure you grab a handy notebook and label a few different sections for the kids to follow along with – I personally enjoy analyzing things like flavor, size, color and texture, but feel free to add more to your liking! Also, be sure to have pre-cut slices ready to go so the taste testing can commence!
It’s so fun to assess the flavor profile of each apple – in this case we used gala, honeycrisp and granny smith – each so different in their own way. We found that Honeycrisp was the largest and sweetest with a vibrant red hue and a tinge of yellow, Gala was more of a muted red with subtle streaks of orange and yellow, fragrant and juicy, and Grannies were bold, green and extra tart! You can also compare the different sizes of each, count the little seeds, and even compare the different textures of the apples between the colorful skin and the sweetness inside. Have your little ones count their slices, make notes in their journal about their findings and decorate it with fun stickers so they too can become inspired for their very own garden one day!
There you have it – who knew a mini science experiment could be so fun (and delicious!) In fact, this week’s prize package is a William Sonoma DIY Garden Kit so the whole family can continue to become inspired about the food they eat, how to grow it – and who knows, maybe even plant their own apple tree one day. To enter to win, head over to our Instagram @starr_ranch_growers – good luck and have a great week!