THE SENSORY MADE SIMPLE PODCAST

Transcript

Hello, and welcome back to episode number nine of the Food Explorers Podcast.

So last week, I mentioned that JR would be coming on today to chat with you about his take on fruits as someone who doesn't eat them.

But fate intervened.

If you follow me on Instagram, at Dr.

Sam Goldman, you know that I was sick this week.

And then on the day we were supposed to record this podcast, he got sick.

Don't you worry, I'm still bringing him on, but I'm giving him a week to recover so he can be his full animated self on the podcast with you.

I didn't wanna leave you hanging this week.

So instead today, we're gonna talk about sensory food play because this is a subject that is surprisingly vulnerable for parents.

As feeding professionals, we recommend it a lot, but many parents struggle here.

By the end of this episode, I hope I have you feeling excited about it and ready to give it a shot.

So over and over, you've heard us talk about food play, messy play, and sensory play.

You've learned all the steps to eating and how this play shouldn't only be based on touching with your hands, but also smelling, kissing, licking, and chewing foods.

But when it comes to actually doing it, you hesitate.

Maybe it's because you freeze up and can't think of any ideas.

Or maybe it's because you feel silly and just can't get past that hump.

Or maybe it's for a totally different reason.

But food play feels hard.

It feels like it takes a lot of time and mental energy.

But here's the thing, it doesn't have to.

I know when you think of food play, you think about those beautiful activities and food art on Pinterest.

If that's you, if you like doing those, that is great.

I love it, and I'm sure your child will too.

But for many parents, that's not realistic.

And that's okay, because you really can do this simply too.

You can do this with no setup and minimal energy.

And today, I am going to show you how.

For example, my sister recently told me she wanted to work on letters with her daughter, and we were brainstorming some fun ways to do it.

I recommended getting the alphabet food cutters, and I could immediately see the fear in her eyes of how much time it would take to punch every single letter of the alphabet.

After giggling a bit, I reminded her that it didn't need to be that elaborate.

Instead, I asked, what if you literally just punch one letter into her piece of cheese or deli meat?

Immediately, my sister relaxed and was like, oh yeah, I can do that.

And then she even took it a step further and realized, wait, I don't even need to punch that letter.

My daughter would love it if she was the one to do that.

And she's right.

The food cutters arrived in the mail this week, and my niece quickly asked when she could start to play with them.

Now, cheese and deli meat are both foods that are routinely offered in my niece's meals and snacks.

So the only change being made is that my sister is offering her a food cutter in the shape of a letter.

This takes such minimal effort and no extra setup at all.

So these are the ways that I want you to think about food play.

It's gonna be a little bit different because your goal isn't to learn letters, it's to learn food.

But once you choose the food, all we need to do is decide an easy way to play with it.

Because this is fruit month, let's apply this back to fruit.

Say you're working on blueberries with your child.

We already know you're going to be presenting blueberries.

So what are some really simple food play ideas?

Number one, you can have them make a letter out of it.

Show them how to create the first letter of their name using blueberries.

Number two, pretend blueberry is your nose.

Hold it up and show them you have a blue nose.

Number three, give them a cup and have them use the cup to squish the berries.

Remember, squishing is a great option for food play because it will help your child learn how the food will feel in their mouth when they chew it.

Number four, pretend the blueberry is a car and drive it on the table.

And number five, bounce it.

See who can bounce it higher.

Now, of course, tools like food cutters, chopsticks, fun utensils, cups, and kitchen tongs are going to make food play a bit easier because they require even less thought and you can often hand these to your child and let their minds go wild as long as you're supervising.

What I want you to notice is that these five ideas required minimal effort, minimal time, and minimal setup.

They take literally one to two minutes of your time at the table and they don't require you to really go far outside that comfort zone or be over the top silly.

My challenge for you today is to choose just one of these to try at the table and see how your child responds when you challenge them to do one of these instead of challenging them to take a bite.

By the way, when you do this, DM me at DrSamGoldman on Instagram because I cannot wait to hear how this goes.

Food play is really important.

I mentioned it in episode three, but kids learn through play.

It's how they understand the world and the table is no different.

So bringing this play back to the table is a game changer for improving their learning while ditching mealtime battles and welcoming mealtime peace.

But I know that thinking of ideas on the spot, really easy ideas can be so challenging.

And that's why I have the best surprise for you today, my friend.

If you take the leap and join the Food Explorers membership this week, I am sharing an extra special bonus with you.

I am sharing my exclusive 101 ways to play with your food ebook with anyone who signs up this week.

So until February 12th, 2023.

This book has never been available to the public.

It is not one of those things that is available to purchase.

And after this week, it goes back in the vault.

All the 101, seriously guys, 101 ideas are ideas just like the ones we discussed today.

Easy, no setup, minimal effort ideas.

You can use that mealtime to help your child explore foods.

I actually recommend that you even print this out and have it in the kitchen.

So that when your child is feeling nervous about a food, and you need an idea, you can just pull it out really quickly.

You do not want to miss this.

Again, it's 101 ways to play with your food, and it's only available until Sunday, February 12th, when you sign up for the Food Explorers membership.

So go to the link in my bio on Instagram, at DrSamGoldman, and join us today to get this free bonus, and finally start playing with your child at the table.

You'll be so happy when you do, because instead of fighting at the table, you'll be creating memories with them.

So that's all for today.

Hopefully next week, I will be back with JR, all recovered, and ready to share his take on fruits.