This week my sister is visiting me with her three-year-old and one-year-old. So our house is full of chaos and fun with four kids cooped up inside most of the day. But my sister is awesome and had a great idea for an activity we could do to help fill the time. Each day we are learning about a different place and eating some food that represents that place.
Today we learned about Florida since my family will be moving there. I looked up some simple facts about the state and told the kids about it while showing them pictures. All I could find on Florida cuisine was all the tropical fruits, key lime pie (which I can't eat because of an egg allergy), and spiny lobster. So it might now have been authentic, but we ate delicious fresh fruit: mango, strawberry, kiwi, and bananas. Then we colored pictures of the state and the state bird and flower.
This week we will also learn about the Midwest and Minnesota (three cousins live there) and we will eat hot dogs (we didn't think the kids would go for brats) with pickles and cheese on the side. And then we will learn about Denmark because Daddy is going there next month. On that day we will eat aebleskivers (not an authentic recipe, but they will be made in an authentic pan) for breakfast and then have open faced sandwiches and chocolate milk for lunch. We'll probably also play with our Legos that day.
I love this premise and will probably repeat it with my daughter. We'll probably take time to learn something about all the states we have family in or have lived in ourselves.
Florida Facts
Nickname: The Sunshine State
Tree: Sabal Palm
Flower: Orange Blossom
Animal: Florida Panther
Marine Mammal: Manatee
Reptile: Alligator
Bird: Mockingbird
Beverage: Orange Juice
Highest Point: 365 Feet
166 Rivers
11,000 Miles of Rivers and Streams
663 Miles of Beaches
7,700 Lakes 10 Acres or Larger
Average Summer Temp: 82
Average Winter Temp: 68
