At Bright Little Stars, we believe some of the best learning happens in the kitchen, and there’s no better time to get children excited about food than autumn. With harvest season in full swing, we’re seeing pumpkins, apples, and root vegetables take centre stage, and it’s the perfect opportunity to turn mealtimes into an adventure.
Our Harrow nursery runs a much-loved Little Chefs co-curricular club, where children get hands on with cooking from an early age. They measure, mix, chop with child safe tools, and most importantly, taste as they go. It’s wonderful to see children who might usually turn their nose up at vegetables become genuinely curious about them once they’ve had a hand in preparing them.
We also love that some of that curiosity starts even earlier, in the ground. Our Harrow and Watford nurseries both have their own allotments, where children get to plant, grow, and harvest their own fruit and vegetables throughout the year. Autumn is a particularly exciting time on the allotment, with children pulling up carrots, digging for potatoes, and picking the last of the season’s berries. There’s real pride on their faces when they realise the vegetable on their plate is one they grew themselves.
Our Stratford nursery takes children on regular visits to the Lighthouse Project, where they get hands on planting carrots, rainbow chard, and sunflowers, then take on the responsibility of watering and caring for their plants throughout the week. It’s given our little ones a real sense of pride in growing their own food, with several even sharing stories of using home grown tomatoes to make soup at home.
This connection between growing and cooking helps children build a positive relationship with food that goes far beyond the plate. It supports early maths through measuring and counting, language development through describing textures, smells, and tastes, and fine motor skills through chopping, stirring, and kneading. Most of all, it makes healthy eating feel like fun rather than a chore.
Here are a few simple ways to bring the Little Chefs spirit home this autumn:
- Let your child help wash and peel vegetables, even if it’s a little messy
- Visit a local farm shop or ‘pick your own’ farm together and talk about where food comes from
- Try a simple recipe together, like homemade vegetable soup or apple crumble
- Grow something easy at home, like cress or herbs on a windowsill, so they can watch it grow
If your child loves getting stuck in at nursery, there’s a good chance they’ll love it at home too.
