04 Apr Keep Celebrating the Season After the Children’s Picnic

Children played with foam building blocks and planted vegetable seeds while parents learned about booster seats and picnicked at the Second Annual Children's Picnic and Real Food Fair this past Sunday, March 30. With temperatures in the 80s, spring made its debut, which helped enforce the mission of the Let's Move! Initiative: get kids and families outside and active.

While we will have to wait until 2015 for the Children's Picnic to come together again, there are ways to keep eating healthy and staying active this year. For ideas on how to celebrate spring, warm weather, and fresh (local!) produce, follow our tips.

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  Visiting the farmers markets during the weekend or even on a weekday evening helps kids see the variety of produce available in the community while connecting families with their local farmer, food artisan or craftsman. Many farmers markets provide music or chalk, making the visit an activity instead of a chore, like a stop at a big grocery store might feel like.

• Gardening is an outdoor activity that does not necessarily require a large amount of daily commitment. Having a small backyard garden or even a couple potted plants will get the gardener – whether that's you or a young child – outside for even just a few minutes. Growing your own food can also empower your household to incorporate more vegetables and fruits into your meals. Plus, nothing is more local than food from your own home! Don't be scared to start – we have many resources to help you out.
   

• Farmhouse Delivery, Greenling and Johnson's Backyard Garden showed attendees what beautiful produce and sundries they bring to doorsteps all around Austin. Investing in a membership will save time shopping for groceries and can challenge you to learn how to cook new foods.

• Children at the picnic created monuments with Austin Parks' Foundation's Imagination Playground. Find it every Saturday morning at the Sustainable Food Center Farmers Market – Downtown to continue the fun every week!

  

• Chickens from Austin Backyard Poultry Meetup Group and goats from Swede Farm joined in on the fun at the event! Learn more about the chickens in our community or how to raise your own at home at the Funky Chicken Coop Tour this month on April 19.

• Our Children's Picnic food vendors source locally when possible. If you find cooking seasonally to be a challenge, visit one of the restaurants or bakeries who do so regularly. You'll be helping the local economy and small area businesses in the process!

• Most important – do activities that you find fun! Some children may be persuaded to go outside if bikes are involved while other individuals will prefer to just roam food stands. Either way, if the activity isn't pleasant, it won't become a habit.

The Children's Picnic should not be one of few times during the year spent outside learning about our environment and food culture. Embrace what the city and the season has to offer. Happy Spring!

Photos by Whitney Arostegui