Is there any food more versatile than the potato? A staple of cheap moms (that'd be me) and college students, it is filling and plentiful and can be cooked so many ways!
Books
We aren't the only ones who like potatoes:
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One pig wants potatoes . . . then so does his brother . . . his sister makes it three pigs, and Papa makes four. Then there are the neighbors! Now all the piggies want potatoes, and soon it's one big potato party!
A counting book as well as a reminder that everyone needs to help, this may get your little piggies in the mood for the day's activities! Or, just make them very hungry, one of the two.
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I was a little concerned at first - wait, are we celebrating these kids stealing potatoes? But, that is addressed, and lends itself very nicely into a discussion of wrong and right - do desperate times excuse desperate measures? And I'm guessing regardless of when you read this book, you can relate it to current events somewhere. This is also a great jumping off point to discuss levels of poverty, and families pulling together. Best line of the book: "our ma, she loved us big, so big that love of hers could turn even three little spuds like us into something mighty fine."
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Just when a little girl thinks she couldn’t possibly be more bored, she stumbles upon a potato who turns the tables on her by declaring that children are boring. But this girl isn’t going to let a vegetable tell her what’s what, so she sets out to show the unimpressed potato all the amazing things kids can do. Too bad the potato is anything but interested…
I am searching for a story time to fit this into. I may just have to plan one on potatoes! This is one of those chucklers that the adults will enjoy as much as (or more than) the kids! A natural extension would be to make a list of reasons kids are NOT boring. Keep it up and add to it for the next week or so! Then save it and haul it out every time your kids utter those dreaded words...
Math
Did you know there is actually a mathematical term called "The Potato Paradox"? If your head isn't swimming by the end, this can be a fun way to introduce percentages and weights of different types of matter. You can get a basic explanation by clicking here.
Writing
Can you think of any expressions using the word "potato"?
hot potato
couch potato
small potatoes
small fry
Choose an idiom and write a story using it literally! Here's my favorite story involving a couch potato of sorts:
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Cooking
Soooooo many choices, where do we begin? Maybe start by making a list of different ways you can think of to cook a potato (check out the song listed below!) Try a bunch and create a rating scale.
One of our favorite potato recipes is the basic latke. A friend of ours suggested adding one grated sweet potato to the mix, and goodness is that delicious! Top it with sour cream or applesauce, or just eat it with your fingers as soon as it is cool enough to touch. Read this aloud while nibbling, for a little humor and holiday background (yes, I know this is March, but you find me any child who doesn't want to read about Christmas or Hanukkah all year round!):
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History
One problem with the potato being such an easily grown, inexpensive staple, can come when an economy is largely dependent on it. There are multiple resources out there for every age level concerning what is commonly known as the "Irish Potato Famine". Depending on your age group and interest, you could further explore subjects such as:
- crop diversity
- plant diseases, as well as crops bred to resist disease
- reasons for immigration/emigration and their effects on demographics, culture, opportunity, discovery
- the history of Ireland and the United Kingdom
- the history of landowners and tenants in Europe as well as in the US, particularly farmers
- conflicts between the Catholic and Protestant church in Ireland
Science
DO pigs actually like potatoes? Find out what pigs will eat (hint: anything) and what they SHOULD eat.
As anyone who has found a surprise crop in their compost heap can tell you, potatoes are incredibly easy to plant. You don't even need soil to get started! Poke toothpicks into a raw potato and use them to suspend it partway in a glass of water. In very little time you can explore roots, stems and leaves!
You can also try some fun experiments with electricity (google "potato battery") and physics "google "straw through potato".)
Art
Did you (or your kids) know that the original Mr. Potato Head toys did not include the plastic potato shaped body? They were just arms and legs and facial features to attach to your own raw potatoes. I am guessing moms got tired of finding rotten potatoes shoved under the sofa cushions - and NOTHING smells as bad as a rotten potato!
Having said that, let's try it out! (The raw potato part, not the rotten part). What can you find or make to create features for your own Potato Head doll? Sticks? Pipe cleaners? Push pins? Check through the recycling and the craft drawers and see what the kids can come up with on their own. I want to see pictures!
Another option: a slightly soft raw potato can be cut with a butter knife. Let your little ones make shapes on the flat side of half a raw potato, then put out a few dishes of paint and some paper and let them have at it!
Music
Have you been introduced to Greg and Steve yet? No??? You MUST order all of their CDs immediately! Catchy tunes for just about any occasion, and they don't make you want to drive a fork through your eye the sixteenth time you hear them. And, of course, they have a song about potatoes! You can click here to get the link off spotify, or google "I Like Potatoes by Greg and Steve" and get some really cheesy home made videos.
Other Web Sites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_(Ireland)
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/07/food-ark/food-variety-graphic
https://sciencing.com/fun-science-experiments-potatoes-8216496.html
https://www.metrofamilymagazine.com/April-2013/Simple-Science-Experiments-Osmosis-with-Potato-Slices/
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/1540/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables/potatoes/
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