Do you struggle with getting your child to eat more fruits and vegetables? Is your child’s idea of eating green foods a green popsicle? How many times during a meal do you say “Just try it! You may like it.”? As a feeding therapist, time and time again the parents of my patients just wish their child would try a new fruit or vegetable. As we all know, kids don’t want to do something we WANT them to, but if they see their friend doing it then it must be good. Since children learn best from other children, Copy-Kids Media created a fun DVD focusing on healthy eating for kids.
Review
My three-year-old, Xander, and I had the opportunity to review the Copy-Kids video, which is geared for children ages 6 months to 5 years. The video consists of 12 chapters, each one focusing on a different fruit or vegetable, including bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, avocado, tomatoes, broccoli, oranges, bananas, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries. The opening menu screen shows a picture of each fruit or vegetable, so your child will become engaged in the video before it even starts. Xander loved picking from the pictured menu, exclaiming “Let’s try Strawberries!”. I was immediately excited that I could work on language learning before we started the video. We talked about the different fruit/vegetable categories, colors of the food, and sizes. I also asked Xander to point to the ones he loves and then to the ones he doesn’t like. 
Each short video features several different children of varying ages from 18 months to 3 years. In addition, there is a short segment featuring well-known pediatrician, Dr. Jay Gordon. In the segment he shares his thoughts on childhood obesity and ways to encourage healthy eating for kids through powerful tools such as Copy-Kids. The video is filmed with no narration, so it’s just a child at a table eating a fruit or vegetable and talking. Each child is even introduced by another child, which is pretty adorable! The preschool children in the video have some pretty cute comments and reactions to the food on their plate. My favorite chapter was the broccoli segment. During one part of the video, one little girl picks up an entire huge stalk of raw broccoli and chomps right into it. As soon as Xander saw her enjoying the broccoli he shouted “I want to eat it!”. Isn’t that what every parent dreams of?
Since children learn better through visuals, the video is also a great way to teach language concepts about fruits and vegetables.
Fruit and Vegetable Language Learning
- Parts of the fruit/vegetable (peel, seeds, skin, core, stem)
- Adjectives (juicy, crunchy, soft/hard, slimy, wet, sour, stringy, sweet, big/little, round)
- Naming (for younger kids pointing to) fruits/vegetable on the main menu screen
- Question asking and answering (ex. What are they eating? What is your favorite fruit?”)
- Requests: all done, more
Needless to say the Copy-Kids DVD was a huge hit with Xander. He loved watching the kids eat the various fruits and vegetables. His favorite chapters were all the fruits. This came as no surprise, since he could live off fruit. My hope was that watching the video would encourage him to start eating vegetables again. Ever since turning three, he has been on a vegetable strike. So I was happy when tried a few bites of a green pepper at dinner the same night we watched the video.
After the second time we watched parts of the video, Xander asked to make his own Copy-Kids video at the breakfast table. I couldn’t resist his request! I let him choose what fruit he wanted to eat and then turned on the video camera.
Giveaway
The Copy-Kids DVD is available through the website and one lucky reader will receive their very own through my giveaway! This is a Rafflecopter giveaway, which runs until Sunday June 17th at 11:59 PM. The giveaway is open to residents in the USA and Canada only. The first entry is mandatory. Once you complete the question you have the option of entering several more times.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
This is an interesting idea! My oldest was my picky eater, we went to a speech therapist and had a swallow study done because he would choke on his food and it prevented him from wanting to try anything new. However, as soon as he went to daycare, it was like a whole new world of food opened up to him, I was amazed! He is almost nine now and I have triple dog dared him to be an adventurous eater, he tries almost anything new at least once. Having a picky eater is so hard as a parent, I am glad to see that the idea got your kids excited enough to try a video for themselves! Too cute!
Carmen B from Adventures of the Triple B’s at http://thetriplebs .blogspot.com
This is so interesting. I’m not sure it would help with Eden’s eating issues as I think hers are mostly texture issues. I would in fact try anything that may help though. Food is the one thing my daughter won’t eat most of the time (usually it’s other awful stuff LOL).
Great idea! My 8 year old hates tomatoes, which I loved as a kid, and my 4 year old hates broccoli, but likes broccoli slaw – go figure! They are both pretty good about eating the basic veggies: corn, peas, carrots, peppers, snap peas, green beans, etc. but nothing more adventurous. Thanks for the ideas and the contest!
Wow broccoli slaw! How funny. I guess because it’s masked with other flavors? It took me awhile to like tomatoes. That’s one of those foods that a lot of grown adults have issues with.
My youngest dislikes anything healthy it seems, especially things that are green… So broccoli, peas, green beans; need I go on? LOL
Twitter: green_eyedmomma
June 13, 2012 at 12:26 AM
My 3 year old dislikes most veggies, and it is a constant battle. I welcome any way to get him to try new things. I had not heard of this movie, what a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Twitter: CrayonsCaffeine
June 13, 2012 at 4:15 PM
What a great giveaway and topic! All 3 of my children are picky eaters, some worse than others. I try my hardest to give them variety but you can only waste so much food before you throw in the towel and give them what they want. They aren’t fans of anything green vegetable wise and will only eat apples & bananas in the fruit department. I, on the other hand love almost all fruits & vegetables and love trying new things.
Twitter: CarrieWChildren
June 14, 2012 at 10:46 PM
My Maggie dislikes all green veggies… and funny, I am the same way!
Twitter: simmworksfamily
June 14, 2012 at 11:33 PM
My son hates peas but my daughter loves them. I didn’t like them when I was younger either. My daughter will try just about anything but only eats a bite or two and is done. We’re trying to get better!
Brussels sprouts, I still don’t like them but my hubby does!