Our Healthy Kid Camps are designed for children that may exhibit selective/picky eating habits, or just want to become more adventurous and healthy eaters! The camp is developed by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and Feeding Therapist/Specialist with various certifications in Nutrition. Through diverse empirically valid techniques such as the Responsive Feeding Method and SOS (Sequential-Oral Sensory) Approach to Food Chaining/Shaping children learn how to engage with healthy ingredients, stretch beyond their comfort zones, learn about nutrition, and even discover nutritious ingredients they learn to enjoy eating. Camp “counselors” are Registered Behavior Technicians that provide feeding therapy through Bloom’s Rehabilitative Practice. All participants must be able to follow directions and work within a team with other children.
Below is the outline of activities for each camp:
Harvest Heroes: Participants use a variety of vegetables including broccoli, peppers, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, etc. to create silly superhero characters. This activity facilitates making contact with vegetables using their hands. Physical external contact can be a significant precursor behavior toward becoming comfortable tasting and even consuming new foods.
Wellness Warriors: This fun activity encourages “playing with food”! This is another step toward external comfort prior to trying new foods. The participants use “warrior paint” (a variety of condiments such as nut butters, hummus, avocado, etc.) to paint their faces. Once their warrior paint is on, they take polaroid pictures in front of the “warrior wall”!
Secret Savor: In this fan favorite activity, children take turns being blind folded to touch, smell, taste, and eat secret ingredients to guess what they are. Secret ingredients include typical child-friendly items such as pineapple, marinara sauce, watermelon, cucumber, banana, etc. Although the ingredients may be within a lot of children’s current dietary repertoires, the act of trying something unknown paves the way for more adventurous eating!
Novice Nutritionists: After learning about essential vitamins and minerals found in various produce, this play on a scavenger hunt provides participants with nutrition clues about assorted fruits and vegetables to find the wholesome bounty. They “forage” through the clinic searching for items based on the nutritional content clues. This activity helps build confidence as participants work in teams, as well as learn more about why we should eat certain foods.
Ramen Races: Participants are divided into teams and race to the tables to choose what interaction they will have for each ingredient. Interaction choices include touch, smell, taste, or eat each ingredient. Points are commensurate based on the level of interaction (e.g., touch vs. eat). The ingredients include ramen noodles, scallions, bell peppers, rice vinegar seasoned cucumbers, mushrooms, and carrots. The winning team members take home a special prize.
Culinary Creations: The day ends with participants making their own pizzas! They start from scratch by rolling out the dough and adding toppings of their choice. The pizzas are taken home to bake and enjoy with their families.
Participants will be able to enjoy healthful snacks throughout the day provided by the camp. They may bring their own lunch or eat the camp lunch for an additional charge. Camp lunch includes popcorn chicken and pizza roll-ups from Publix. Each child needs to bring their own water bottle with their first and last name on it.
Each participant will take home a Healthy Kid Camp packet to further their healthy adventure at home. They will also take home a Bloom Nutrition Academy chef’s apron to continue their nutritious culinary journeys!
***This is NOT an allergy friendly camp. Individuals with nut allergies should not participate. Allergy friendly camps will be coming soon!
Cancellation Policy: All ingredients are purchased, and staff scheduled based on registration. If your child is unable to attend, refunds will be provided for notice of a cancellation 7 days prior to the camp date. If you are not able to provide notice within 7 days, credit will be given for future camp dates.
