Pollination -> Fruit & Vegi Nation

When it got really cold and threatened to rain often in late May, my daughter requested that we PLAY WITH OUR FOOD for our theme. For weeks, she had been flipping through books by Joost Elfers and getting truly inspired during roadtrips. The books are just compilations of quirky animals, vehicles and creatures he modeled with nothing more than fruits and vegetables.

And I am always wishing for more families to suggest themes and activities. So even though it was my daughter, I turned it into a fun theme day! The best book to get an idea of what you can create is FOOD PLAY(this link takes you to Amazon) . When the activity came to life I was blown away at how all M&B kids (and parents) tapped into their imaginations. All worked skillfully (and carefully when it came to knives) to create scenes like this one below whose center piece is a historic squash and carrot Schooner with celery-headed captain sailing the high Iceberg Seas. Also displayed are bok choy and fennel fish, cauliflower sheep and underwater discovery vessels.

But before we built them and took them apart to dip in humus and dressing, we learned how they “came to be” in the first place. Together we unfolded Nature’s sexy story of birds, bees and pollination.

THis poster was on display at the Santa Monica Mtns First annual Science fest. Here Ula and others learned that a Sunflower is comprised of HUNDREDS of individal flowers.

So, WHY ARE FLOWERS SO COLORFUL?

Why do that have sticky sweet nectar and how is pollen involved?

The kids really put their heads and hands into discussing what part that bugs, butterflies, bees and birds play in pollination and how the plants and flowers are designed to attract their necessary neighbors in order to live long and prosper. Armed with a bouquet of Trumpet flowers and pomegranate blossoms from my backyard as well as some farmer’s mkt Sunflowers, we scientifically dissected, explored and identified flowers & “soon-to-be” fruit parts.

flwrparts Each flower has their own primary parts: Stamen (male parts that stick out and are covered with pollen); Style (tall singular tower that is sticky on the top and reaches up from the ovary where the seeds lay (only to grow fruit if pollinated).

Last month at the Santa Monica Mnts’ first annual science festival, hundreds of kids learned about pollination (see poster) and flower parts. Here Ula investigates a sunflower, only to find out that it is comprised of HUNDREDS of miniflowers. Each of which, IF POLLINATED, will produce ONE sunflower seed.

Pulling "mini flowers" off is Fascinating!

So where are the seeds in each fruit and vegi? All the seeds start in the flowers, hiding in the Ovary. And after the flower falls off and the fruit begins to grow, the flesh of fruit and vegetables develop around them.

Time to Play with our FOOD.

As we graduated from Flower Botany, we moved on to Fruit and Vegetables. As the kids (and adults) cut, rearranged and go completely creative in building a fantasy world from Nature’s bounty – I asked everyone to take notice where the seeds were in their supplies. Banana seeds are in a row and so tiny we don’t mind eating them. Strawberry seeds are on the OUTSIDE of the berry. What do your food’s seeds look like? We also pondered …

WHY IS FRUIT SO COLORFUL & TASTY?

Similar to why flowers are so colorful and nectar sweet and pollen sticky – it draws animals to it. Flowers rely on wind, insects and birds to pollinate them (because plants can’t walk over and borrow a cup of pollen from their neighbor like we can). And if new plants only grew up at the base of each plant, we wouldn’t have the variety of fruits and vegetables in the world. So animals have to be enticed to eat food (and yes, poop out the seeds yards or miles away). I love the look and taste of a ripe red strawberry. Red raspberries almost jump out at me from the sea of green and brown leaves in their natural habitat (not Trader Joes).

After we designed our creations and showed them about a bit, we devoured the baby buggy fruit salad; humus and dressings became swimming pools for other vegis and a few penguins; and some sheep and a submarine were taken home to be converted yet again – this time into a hearty soup. What a wonderful option on such a surprisingly blustery day.

Let’s see those creations…