After a 30-minute science storytelling session, kids can get hands-on with a balloon twisting station and tasting table. Photo: Supplied.
What happens when you combine a molecular biologist, balloon artist, nutrition academic and practising dietitian?
BANG! You get a one-of-a-kind community event which aims to help children build healthier relationships with food.
Foodie Fun Play! will run throughout National Science Week with four shows at community venues throughout Canberra from 15 to 22 August.
Recommended for ages 3 to 8, the event allows kids to engage with balloon fruits and vegetables, before meeting the real thing in a playful and low-pressure environment.
“Children are natural scientists. They want to touch, squish, smell and ask why,” said founder Dr Chloe Lim.
“When you let a child play with a balloon broccoli and meet a real one at the same time, the vegetable stops being the enemy at the dinner table and becomes something curious and fun. That’s the serious business of joy: play is how children learn.”
Dr Chloe is a PhD-trained molecular biologist who left the laboratory to become one of Canberra’s best-known balloon artists and science educators.
She has appeared on Channel 7’s Blow Up series, presented at TEDxCanberra, and founded two successful businesses: award-winning kids’ entertainment provider Giggly Wiggly Balloons and science education organisation Twistyfic.
“The idea is to make fruits and vegetables fun for children, so that they are more likely to overcome their food neophobia and have a go at tasting their food.”
It’s difficult to feel intimidated by such a friendly-looking vegetable. Photo: Supplied.
Co-designed with a University of Canberra nutrition academic and informed by fussy-eating research, Foodie Fun Play! will feature a 30-minute science storytelling show, balloon fruit-and-vegetable twisting station, and tasting table run by Accredited Practising Dietitians from Nutrition Australia ACT.
Tickets are free, but bookings are recommended, after last year’s inaugural event attracted strong attendance and rave reviews.
“Public tickets just opened, and demand has been strong, with two sold-out venues.” Dr Chloe said, “Last year’s parents rated it 4.85 out of 5, with most saying it got their kids trying new vegetables.”
Supported by Inspiring Australia grant funding – an Australian Government initiative as part of National Science Week – Dr Chloe believes the show is the first of its kind in Australia.
“This is really in line with the National Preventative Health Strategy, which is a government strategy to try and increase food and vegetable intake in children – and adults as well – because a lot of adults are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables.”
The shows are being delivered free to families in partnership with four community organisations – Initiatives for Women in Need, YWCA Canberra, Communities at Work, and Kippax Uniting Church – aiming to reach families across the ACT region, with in-kind support by ACT Playgroup.
Dietitian and CEO of Nutrition Australia ACT Leanne Elliston says programs like Foodie Fun Play! can lead to lifelong benefits for fussy-eaters and their families.
“For many families, getting children excited about fruit and vegetables can be a challenge. That is exactly why initiatives like Foodie Fun Play! matter,” she said.
“By combining nutrition science with storytelling, play and creativity, Dr Chloe is helping children build positive connections with nourishing food that can last a lifetime.”
Foodie Fun Play! will take place through National Science Week (15 to 23 August). Visit Eventbrite for tickets.
