Making learning fun at the farmers market
We're making learning fun and delicious here at Farmers Market Taranaki! We've got five educational and engaging activities to enjoy as a family when you're at the market next.
Visiting your local farmers market is not only a fantastic place to stock up on local, fresh and healthy kai, but also an awesome place to explore and take home valuable learnings from a young age.
Check out our fun learnings below, with a downloadable version and colouring sheet attached at the end!
1. Money & Budgeting
Give each child a small amount of money and let them practice buying items from the market. This teaches them about budgeting and the value of money while interacting with vendors.
2. Eye Spy Farmers’ Market Adventure
We all know how to play eye spy, using letters or colours, can you turn it into a fun activity while you enjoy your coffee or line up for delicious sourdough bread?
3. Seasonal Produce Exploration
Encourage your children to explore the market, asking questions to vendors and each other about which fruit and vegetables grow at different times of the year. What can you see at the moment? What might be at the market soon?
4. Early Empathy Imaginations
Ask the children to imagine what the makers, bakers and growers do each day. What time did they get up this morning to pack their trucks? Were they up late last night baking the bread? Did one of their chickens escape and go on a wild adventure?
5. Explore Māori History of the Huatoki
The Huatoki River has always been significant to Māori, particularly to Mana Whenua (traditional custodians) of Ngāmotu, the people of Ngāti Te Whiti. Once a large estuary, it was a hub for activity, economy, an inland access route, a border, mahinga kai (natural resource), and a spiritual link to Maunga Taranaki. Between Red Coat Lane and the foreshore, three storyboards highlight Māori life around the river. Can you find them? For more local Māori history, visit the displays at Puke Ariki Museum.
Fun for the whole family
Imagine a place where you can learn exactly where your food comes from and meet the friendly face behind your fresh produce or sourdough bread? That's us!
Farmers Market Taranaki is a fantastic place to bring your family to connect with your food source and learn all sorts of important skills from an early age.
Thank you for choosing us to shop local and take home some fun and interactive learnings, all while enjoying some delicious treats and community joy along the way. See you again soon!
Download our activity and colouring sheets here:
Colouring-in sheet created by Local Talented Author and Illustrator Hayley Elliott-Kernot: https://www.hayleyelliottkernot.com
