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Children learn to try new foods items through their senses of smell, touch, and taste. Providing experiences often increases their acceptance to new foods items. Here are some tips to promote sensory feeding development in the home:

◦ Learn about new foods while eating or at a separate scheduled time

◦ Keep eating fun without any force

◦ Explore new food items while maintaining a “positive and supportive attitude”

◦ “Touch” new foods items
Paint with food items
Stamp with food items
String food items to make food jewelry

◦ “Smell” new foods items
Placing food items in a container and have your child guess the item through a hole in the top

◦ “Taste” new foods
Lick the item, hold a small bite on the tongue, and finally chew a small portion
Make teeth marks on food items

◦ Allow your child to spit out a new food items or wash down with water

◦ Have the child join in the cooking process. Here are some suggestions by age…
Age 3:
◦ Wash and strain fruits and vegetables
◦ stir ingredients in large, deep bowls
◦ use cookie and biscuit cutters
◦ tear lettuce
Age 4:
◦ open packages
◦ poor liquids
◦ squeeze citrus
◦ measure and spoon out cookies
◦ mashing potatoes, bananas, or other vegetables
◦ peel oranges or hard-boiled eggs
Ages 5-6:
◦ measure ingredients
◦ set the table
Ages 7-8:
◦ help plan the meal
◦ find ingredients in the pantry or spice rack
◦ knead dough
◦ crack and whisk eggs

Resources:
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/tip/skills-by-age.html
http://www.southernliving.com/food/healthy-light/simple-cooking-skills-every-kid-can-master
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/yourkids/kids-tips/cooking-skills-by-age.aspx
http://www.otplan.com/articles/strategies-to-improve-feeding-at-home.aspx