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Written by contributor Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship.
As a former teacher and current mom, I’ve read all the great advice about keeping children engaged in shopping trips and the myriad ways one can make a simple grocery store excursion into a learning experience.
Most of the time, I’m just too tired or harried or hurried to do anything formal beyond some conversation about food and allowing the kids to help fill produce bags and “beep” our purchases at the self-checkout.
This summer, I’m determined to give my 7-year-old son practice with mental math and making change at the Farmer’s Market, and his almost-4-year-old sister is the perfect age to work on her letters and sounds, as well as vegetable identification.
Luckily I have an amazing friend, my son’s godmother, who created this Farmer’s Market Bingo sheet when he and I visited her a few summers ago. I’ll make another one with letters for my daughter, and as long as I, you know, remember to actually bring them and have a few brain cells to rub together to keep the kids on track, each Farmer’s Market trip can be a total learning experience.
Photo by Name
My friend was gracious enough to share her creation with all of you, and I hope you can have fun with it this summer too! (You may have to switch out “balloon animals” unless your market is as cool as the one we visited in the Twin Cities…and “doughnuts” could probably be replaced with something unique to your market, too.)
Click HERE to download the document.
Enjoy playing Farmer’s Market Bingo this summer!
What do you do to make fresh, local food fun and exciting for your kids?
About Katie Kimball
What an absolutely brilliant idea! If one were so inclined (in a perfect world!), they could hand-write a bingo sheet based on their shopping list when they went to the market (or store).
My first baby is due next month (June) so it might be a while before I can use this with my own young’uns, but my little sister is so just gonna love this – she is 7, perfect age. I’m re-posting the link to your post so that all my readers with children can enjoy your friends’ genius, too!
What a great idea! We have belonged to a CSA since my oldest was born three years ago, so she thinks all of our food comes from the two farms that we frequent during the year. We recently got some baby chicks as well, and my daughter is very much looking forward to the fresh eggs that she will be able to collect from them – once they start laying. I think that just involving them in the shopping process is important. When they are with you and going to a farm or the farmers’ market, they are more inclined to try things. I also do a lot of gardening with my kids, anything that they plant, they seem to be willing to try, so I let them plant everything
The place looks great. I miss going to other country and shop different stuff there. I hope I could find time in my busy schedule to have a vacation.
I live in the Twin Cities! Can you tell me which market has the animal balloons? My boys would love those!
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This makes me want to head to a farmers market right now!
My oldest starts kindergarten in the fall and we have decided to homeschool…..for at least a few years! I’m nervous but excited. This whole farmers market bingo thing sounds like something I could use. We are also heading to the library this week to grab some books on gardening with kids.
I hope you have a great day!
Blessings, Kate
What a great idea! I’ll be linking to it in my next post, which will be about a travel bingo game we made in our MOPS group.
LOVE this idea…I do wish the bingo sheet wasn’t filled with copyrighted/watermarked images though
I joined a group two years ago to bring a farmers market to our town. Now, just a couple of weeks away, we open on June 10th. I am amazed at the wonderful support for the market and can’t wait to share this printable for kids to play at the market.
Super cute idea, Katie! My daughter would love this.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
I really love this idea. Have you presented to the person who runs the market? They might give them out to other parents.