Souper kinder kids

By Kath Gannaway
LITTLE fingers make great soup … and that’s official!
Special guests, including Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe and parents, were treated to a delicious kinder-cooked lunch on Thursday as part of Coldstream Pre-school’s ‘ Kids – Go For Your Life’ award ceremony.
Coldstream is one of a select group of early childhood services in the Yarra Valley that have achieved ‘Kids – Go For Your Life’ accreditation.
The pre-school was a hive of activity last Wednesday as budding chefs threw themselves into food prep for their big soup cook-up.
With three different soups on the menu, and the aroma of fresh-baked bread wafting through, the focus on Thursday quickly moved from talking about food to eating it!
Pre-school director Ramona Martinus said she was delighted with the award which she said acknowledged the ongoing effort of staff and parents to make healthy eating and active play a priority for their children.
“Since becoming Members in 2007 we have made many health based changes as part of the program, from weekly cooking classes to hikes in the local nature reserve,” she said.
Creating a vegetable garden was the start of their good food adventure which includes cooking sessions with two kinder dads who double as Yarra Valley chefs.
“The best part is that the children are learning important healthy eating and active play messages in a fun and engaging way, that they really enjoy,” Ms Martinus said.
Ms Fyffe commended the preschool on doing their part to ensure children learn healthy lifestyle choices from an early age.
“I have always been a big believer in the value of maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle which includes plenty of physical activity and good eating habits,” she said.
Ms Martinus said she believed parents want to provide a healthy environment for their children and that the success of the program, and changes she has seen over the past three years in parents’ approach to food and healthy activities, supports that.
Creating healthy habits for life is the basis of the program and the pre-school is one of more than 2,400 early childhood services and primary schools across Victoria that have adopted the program.