Kim (McGowan) Smith - Trustee and Co-Chair at TastEd
TastEd is a charity supporting schools and nurseries in implementing sensory food education, to help children learn to LOVE eating fruit and vegetables, by using the 5 senses. Central to our approach is making delivering food education as easy as possible, which is why we are thrilled to support Connects-Food with their resources for implementing a whole school approach to food.
TastEd as an approach to food education dovetails naturally with the many aspects of food in school, including a wide range of curriculum subjects, school topics, whilst connecting to lunch times and snack breaks. But, it can also be employed as fun activities at school fairs and events, support SEN interventions in social skills development, and even share the principles of TastEd with parents and carers to support eating challenges at home.
Child’s response to SEEING tomatoes lesson
Developed by teachers and Headteachers, we understand the challenges of teaching practical food education in an already packed curriculum and timetable, so TastEd endeavours to make giving children educational and hands-on food experiences as easy and as impactful as possible.
Our FREE unique, fun and ready to teach lessons, cover EYFS to Year 6 and give all children the opportunity to explore, enjoy and try fruit and vegetables by simply listening, looking, smelling, feeling and tasting. Designed to support D&T Cooking and Nutrition curriculum, it can also be used to teach RSE & HE, science, English, history and as a prompt for art! Children love trying to describe how veg hidden in socks feels, or covering their ears to establish which food is crunchiest, frequently capturing their curiosity enough to even try it! These engaging lessons use minimal equipment and ingredients and teachers don’t need any food or cooking experience to run lessons.
Reception child’s spontaneous writing about peppers
But don’t take our word for it… Teachers tell us:
“I think the lessons have been so well planned, assisting me with what each group can be occupied with so all children are doing something throughout the lesson. The lesson plans also give great information. I have learnt stuff too!!
London Academy Teacher.
“The children were really adventurous…and it really encouraged them seeing their friends having a go and trying”
Teacher at Mount St Academy.
"There was uproar when they heard it was their last TastEd lesson... I thought they would have tried most things but I was surprised that many of them had not tried oranges."
Year 6 Teacher UPCS Cambridge.
Sign up for your FREE access at: https://www.tasteeducation.com/school-or-organisation/