Learning About Food at the Farmer’s Market
- Mallory
- Jul 3
- 3 min read
Summer is the perfect time to explore your local Farmer’s Market—and it can be a wonderful way to support your child’s feeding journey. At Innovative Therapy Center, we know that feeding therapy isn’t just about what happens at the table. It’s about building positive, low-pressure experiences with food that make eating feel fun and approachable.
The Farmer’s Market is full of colors, textures, smells, and tastes, making it an ideal setting for children to engage their senses and learn about food in a relaxed environment. Here are some playful ideas you can try with your family:
👀 Eye Spy with My Little Eye
A market is a treasure trove of sensory experiences. As you walk, invite your child to notice:
What they see: bright orange carrots, round green cucumbers, tiny blueberries.
How foods feel: fuzzy peaches, smooth tomatoes, bumpy squash.
What they smell: sweet fruits, spicy peppers, freshly popped popcorn.
What they taste: if samples are available, talk about whether a food is sweet, crunchy, tangy, or juicy.
This helps children engage without pressure to eat—just exploring with their senses.
🎲 Food Bingo
Before you go, make a bingo board with categories such as:
“Something round”
“A rough or bumpy food”
“A food that smells spicy”
“Something purple”
As you stroll, see who can complete their board first. Games like this shift the focus from eating to discovering, which can be very supportive for kids with feeding challenges.
🌈 Find the Rainbow
Challenge your child to find at least one food for each color of the rainbow. If they’re ready for a bigger challenge, ask them to find three foods in each color. This game encourages variety and curiosity—important skills for expanding food acceptance over time.
👩🌾 Interview a Farmer
Farmers love to talk about the foods they grow. Encourage your child to ask simple questions like:
“What is your favorite food to grow?”
“How do you cook this at home?”
“What makes this fruit or vegetable special?”
Hearing stories about food from the people who grow it can spark interest and make new foods feel less intimidating.
🍴 Bring It Home
When the market fun is done, let your child help choose a food to bring home. Involve them in washing, chopping (with supervision), and cooking. Even if they don’t eat the new food right away, being part of the process builds confidence and exposure in a positive way.
Why This Matters for Feeding Therapy
Exploring food in new environments, like a Farmer’s Market, helps children:
Build comfort with new textures, colors, and smells
Practice talking about food without pressure to eat
Gain confidence in making choices about food
Strengthen family connections around mealtime
These are the same goals we work on in feeding therapy at Innovative Therapy Center. By pairing therapy strategies with real-world experiences, families can make steady progress while keeping mealtime fun.
Ready to Try It?
Next time you head to the Farmer’s Market, slow down, explore, and enjoy the experience together. You may just find a new favorite food—or at least a new memory to share.
If you aren’t sure where the closest Farmer’s Market is in Ohio, check out this helpful resource: https://ofma.org/ohio-farmers-markets-directory/
At Innovative Therapy Center, we’re here to support families through every step of their feeding journey. Contact us today to learn more about feeding therapy and how everyday experiences—like a trip to the market—can help your child thrive.
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