Get the kids involved in the kitchen

How do I make sure my children have a positive relationship with healthy food?

New figures show that over one million UK children under the age of 16 are now classed as obese. There are many ways to help prevent your child from becoming overweight, inluding teaching them to have positive a relationship with healthy food. Children can develop healthy eating habits at a young age which can help create healthy eating habits for life. Involving children in the kitchen and presenting them with alternative ways to see food will help them become Little Green Fingers

How can I teach my children about healthy eating?

Children are like sponges; they absorb massive amounts of information from sources all around. Whether they're playing with toys, or simply seeing images that reinforce all the work you are doing to educate them, it all has an effect! Helping your children see links between eating healthily and seeing where food comes from is an important aspect of their growth. IKEA'S book TORVA - Heroes in the Vegetable Patch was designed to encourage environmental thinking in small children, and allow them to see where the food they eat comes from. This is a book that you can enjoy with your child and together you can explore the nature that we have at our disposal.

How to I keep my children entertained in the kitchen whilst still learning?

Keeping children entertained in the kitchen is a tough job, there is no denying that. But with more tasks and less time on our hands, having our children with us in the kitchen is inevitable. IKEA has designed a range of soft toys that work in conjugation with the "Heroes in the Vegetable Patch". They range from smaller toys for toddlers like the TORVA rattle or the slightly larger soft toy TORVA carrot which beeps when you squeeze its belly will give your Little Green Fingers an opportunity to play with the characters that they see in the book.

What can I do to keep my older children excited about healthy eating and the environment?

Children love whatever animals they are presented with, they spend a great deal seeing talking bears and dogs on TV. IKEA's range of items for those little green fingers, gives you the comfort of knowing they are learning about their environment. For the older kids the TORVA TRADGARD quilt cover and pillowcase are a wonderful way of reinforcing the toys and having them fall asleep with the same happy pictures drifting into their dreams.

For more ideas on kitchen table ideas for kids

For more items from the green little fingers range