One of my favorite memories of autumn is going apple picking with my family. I was so enthralled by all the hidden treasures hanging in the orchard. I loved tasting the different varieties of apples and deciding which was my favorite. I especially cherished the warm apple cider samples that the farm provided after we finished collecting our apples.

This time of year is the perfect opportunity to head to a local farm to pick your own produce of the season, whether it be apples, pears, pumpkins, squash or others available where you live. By taking your children on a u-pick adventure, they will learn a tremendous amount about food and the environment, and you will build family memories that will last a lifetime. 

Encourage healthy eating

Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, with nearly one in three children currently considered overweight or obese. It is no surprise that much of this trend is due to children eating too much sugary junk food.

One of the best ways to get kids excited about eating healthier foods it to let them go out and touch and feel the fruits and vegetables for themselves. When you take your children to pick their own produce, you are exposing them to healthier options and making it fun for them to choose delicious whole foods.

RELATED: Ripe for the picking: A guide to favorite U-Pick farms in the area

The best part is that you can go home from the farm and spend quality time together in the kitchen creating tasty meals from the food you hand-picked yourselves. There are so many healthy kid-friendly recipes to discover, from smoothies to side dishes to snacks. When your children play this much of a role in gathering and preparing their food, it will have a huge impact on them and influence the food decisions they make in the future.

Spend time outdoors in nature

After a hot summer, many of us look forward to the refreshing crisp air. Taking your kids to a u-pick farm is a great way to spend more time outside in nature, which is definitely needed given the recent discussion about children suffering from nature-deficit disorder.

Between hectic schedules, safety concerns, and over-consumption of technology, children have less exposure and connection to nature. Sadly, children spending less time outdoors has been linked to decreased appreciation of our environment, health problems including childhood obesity and vitamin D deficiency, diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of emotional illnesses like anxiety and depression.

By taking them on a fun outdoorsy trips, we are giving them more opportunities to explore our natural environment. Being in nature is relaxing and inspiring. The children will be in awe of the gorgeous scenery at the farm, from the leaves changing colors to the vivid fruit and vegetables growing. It is a wonderful chance for the entire family to enjoy a few hours strolling around an orchard or farm taking in the sights, fragrances and miracles of nature.

Support locally grown food

When you pick your own produce at a farm in your area, you are supporting your local community and protecting the environment. What special lessons to teach our children! You help farmers succeed by giving them business, ensuring that there will be farms in your community in the future. You are also continuing a special connection between grower and consumer.

When it comes to environmental protection, you are playing a role in reducing the distance that food travels to reach you, saving energy and resources. Local food also preserves genetic diversity because smaller local farms often grow many different varieties and rotate their crops to provide a long harvest season. Finally, local farms typically conserve fertile soil and clean water, ensuring a safe habitat for wildlife.

Additionally, locally grown food tastes better, is more nutritious, and stays fresh longer. It is picked at peak harvest time, transported shorter distances and sold directly to consumers. The less time that passes between farm and table, the more nutrients remain.

Teach your children to appreciate where food comes from

When your children pick food with their own hands, they learn to appreciate where food comes from and the work involved in making every meal we enjoy. It also gives them a special connection to farmers that they can’t experience at the grocery store.

They have a chance to meet the actual farmers that grow the food and learn about the role they play in food production. Encourage your children to ask the farmers questions about the seasons, the land, different produce being grown and the specific work they do on a daily basis. This also gives you a chance to talk to your children about choosing organic farms that avoid using harmful pesticides to grow crops.

Here are some additional ways to instill a deeper appreciation for where our food comes from:

• Eat mindfully with your children. This practice allows us to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that can come from preparing and eating food. Instead of shoving food into our mouths and never really thinking about it, mindful eating awakens us to an entirely new experience with food. We can take a moment to savor and truly enjoy what we are eating.
• Express gratitude for the food we have. When children have the chance to help create what they eat, they begin to understand how lucky they are to have dinner on the table each night. Take the time to express gratitude for the yummy food you have gathered.
• Give to others. Children can learn so much by making food and donating it to those in need. Some ideas include putting together trail mix using pumpkin seeds and dried apples for underprivileged youth or making your own apple sauce for a local food bank or childcare center.

Enjoy seasonal produce

The best part of picking your own produce this fall is that you will be able to enjoy nature’s delicious treats as fresh as they come. When you eat the food that is grown locally in season, you save money, have access to more nutritious food, and reduce the impact on the environment.

Visiting a u-pick farm also gives you a chance to talk to your children about the changing seasons, cycles of nature, and where certain crops grow during the year. For example, if we want to eat blueberries in the middle of winter, they will have to come a long way using a lot of fuel. And once they arrive, they won’t last very long in the refrigerator and won’t taste as fresh as the berries we can pick locally during the summertime.

For longtime friends and community educators Aya Khalil and Bayan Lahham, writing their new children’s book, A Party of Colors, feels like a natural extension of the work they have been doing together for years.

The two first met at a story time after Bayan moved back to Toledo. Since 2015, their friendship has grown through community story times, library events, outreach and a shared love of children’s literature.

“It’s ironic because we met at story time and now we’re doing story time together,” Khalil said.

Both women have a passion for education, writing and helping children see themselves reflected in the books they read. When the opportunity to collaborate on a book came along, Khalil asked Lahham if she wanted to join her.

“She said yes,” Khalil recalled.

For Khalil, A Party of Colors is her 11th children’s book, adding to a growing body of work that includes both board and picture books.

Seeing a new experience through a child’s eyes

The story follows a young boy experiencing a car wash for the first time. What might seem like an ordinary errand to an adult becomes an unfamiliar and even intimidating adventure for a child.

“He’s going through a car wash for the first time and readers see it through his perspective,” Khalil explained. “It’s a new experience. It can be scary when you don’t know what to expect.”

The story also highlights the bond between a father and son while introducing young readers to the science behind the car wash.

RELATED: Local Author Finds Her Voice Through Children’s Book About Self-Discovery

For Khalil, the idea was personal. One of her own children was frightened by car washes, making the experience especially relatable.

Bringing STEAM into the story

Lahham, a math and science teacher, brought her own childhood experiences and love of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) to the project.

“Growing up, both of my parents were engineers,” Lahham said. “Math and science were embedded in our every move.”

She wanted to incorporate art and science in a way that felt natural and engaging for children.

The book takes readers through the experience step by step, from entering the car wash to navigating the dark tunnel and hearing unexpected noises.

“It’s about trying something new for the first time and going into the unknown,” Lahham said.

Bayan hopes the book also helps children understand sequences and the value of taking things one step at a time.

Representation matters

For both authors, representation is at the heart of their work.

“I love kids to see themselves in books,” Lahham said. “We didn’t have that growing up.”

As a Syrian American and first-generation Arab American, Lahham said she rarely saw people who looked or sounded like her represented authentically in the books she read.

Khalil shares that experience. Her own journey into children’s publishing began in 2020, inspired in part by wanting her children to understand that they matter.

“I didn’t want them to think they didn’t matter,” Khalil said. “I wanted things to change.”

The authors believe authentic representation can also help children understand people who may look, speak or live differently from them.

“You can do that by reading books,” Khalil said. “It humanizes us.”

Following your dreams

Lahham’s path to teaching was not always straightforward. She studied pharmacy after being encouraged toward science and medicine, but eventually realized that education was where she found the greatest sense of purpose.

“Follow your dreams,” she said. “Teaching brought me happiness.”

Now, she hopes the book encourages children to remain curious, pursue their interests and believe they can become whatever they choose.

Meet the authors at upcoming events

Khalil and Lahham will celebrate “A Party of Colors” with several upcoming community events featuring readings, STEAM activities and treats. All ages are welcome and the authors emphasize that STEAM is for everyone.

• Barnes & Noble Maumee: 3100 Main St. #1400, Maumee — Saturday, Sept. 12, 1–2pm.
• ICGT International Festival with Gathering Volumes: 25877 Scheider Rd., Perrysburg — Saturday, Sept. 26, 11am–6pm; Sunday, Sept. 27, noon–6pm.
• Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, King Road Branch: 3900 King Rd., Toledo — Tuesday, Sept. 29, 6pm.

For Khalil and Lahham, “A Party of Colors” is more than a story about a car wash. It is an invitation for children to explore something unfamiliar, learn through curiosity and recognize themselves and others in the pages of a book.

Follow Aya Khalil on her website. Follow Bayan Lahham on Instagram.