Children's Reading Activity--Children's Story--Reading and Word-find Activity About Vegetables

Vegetables! Kids usually hate them, and even some adults would rather be boiled in creamed corn than to eat the stuff. Oh sure, you can try telling your kids that broccoli are really miniature trees, asparagus are green arrows, and lima beans are frogs' kidneys, but they know better. Or at least they think they do.

Instead of battling over the veggies, tell them you have something fun to do with them-if they'll finish their supper-and use the word-find story below as a reward for eating those peas. Well, at least for finishing one of two of them. Your children will love the story activity ... and hey ... you will even enjoy it, too.

The word-find tale below is for children from the ages of six to nine, although non-readers may participate if you read it to them. The object is to find six vegetables in the words of the story. (Hint: Some of the vegetables are the sounds of two or more words put together.)

Hidden Vegetables

The other day my family ate mixed-up veggies for dinner. Six of them, in fact. I'll bet you're so smart you can figure out which ones.

We sat at the table and Mom began the meal by saying, "Let us pray for peace on earth."

After that, I forked a piece of meat and started chewing. It was like chomping on an old, dried up sneaker. My dad tries hard but as far as cooks go, he makes a better truck driver. Holy cow-or maybe I should say, "Holy pig"-because those pork chops were charred!

After that my kid sister, Julia, started to pass the bowl of green beans and dropped them. Boy, were they squashed! I didn't complain, though, because I didn't care at all. Who would, when there's ice cream for dessert?

Answers:

Mom began the meal by saying, "Let us (lettuce) pray for peace (peas) on earth."

Those pork chops were charred (chard).

Julia started to pass the bowl of green beans (green beans) and dropped them.

Boy, were they squashed (squash)!

I didn't complain, though, because I didn't care at (carrot) all.

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(Author's note: For another fun, short story about vegetables, click here.)
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Sources:
Personal experience