European Commission
Agriculture and Rural Development
www.organic-farming.europa.eu
FoUR
Seasons
Creative activity book
for children
Organic
Farming
Good for nature,
Good for you.
Placeholder
Logo
Life on an organic Farm
An organic farm is a place where people live and work
together to grow plants and raise animals so you and
your family can enjoy delicious food and drinks.
Organic animals living on the farm, such as cows, pigs,
chickens, goats and sheep, are treated with respect for
their natural needs. Organic animals should have sufficient space on the farm and a natural diet to keep them
fit and strong.
Organic farmers also work hard to help plants grow
healthily, mainly by using manure or compost found on
the farm.The organic eggs you eat for breakfast and that
are mixed into yummy cakes and cookies are gathered
by an organic farmer. They come from hens that can
happily peck around their yard and use comfy nests to
lay their eggs undisturbed. When a farm is an organic
farm, the farmer will follow special rules to make sure
that the animals are kept healthy and happy. The rules
also say that the farmer is responsible for protecting the
environment.
How do we know
it’s organic?
How can I learn more
about Organic Farming
and its Products?
Many organic farms have open days and farm shops.
Ask your parents or teachers about it and suggest a trip
to one of the farms. The organic farmer will surely be
happy to show his farm to your class or your family. He
will show you his animals and fields and explain what
makes organic farming so special.
You can also visit the “Kids’ Corner” on the Organic
Farming website, “Good for nature, good for you.” You
can find the website at www.organic-farming.europa.
eu, but please always ask your parents before surfing on
the Internet.
Finally, you can try all the fun activities described in
this book and see what else you can do with organic
food and materials. While trying all the craft ideas with
your friends or at school, you will also have the chance
to learn about organic farming and production. (If you
can’t find the organic products listed here, you can also
use non-organic ones instead.)
Have fun!
Products coming from an organic farm that have been
processed and turned into delicious organic cheese and
sausages, jam, marmalade, juice or other organic food
and drinks are specially labelled as organic, telling you
where, how and by whom these goods were produced.
This gives your parents a chance to choose delicious
organic food and drinks for you.
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Alien Eggheads
Watch out! This spring, green-haired aliens are invading your kitchen! You can make your own alien egg“head” and watch how the cress seeds you plant sprout
to make green “hair”.
You will need:
Organic eggs and the egg carton · Coloured pens or
markers · Cotton balls · Organic cress seeds
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Spring
1. Carefully clean and dry several eggshell halves after
a scrambled egg breakfast. Draw a crazy alien face on
each eggshell.
2. Briefly soak balls of cotton in a bowl of water and
put into the eggshells. Sprinkle cress seeds over the
cotton balls.
3. Put the eggshells back into their carton and place it
on a windowsill.
4. Over the next few days, keep the cotton moist and watch
your “aliens” sprout green hair. When it’s long enough,
give them a “haircut” and put it in a salad or sandwich.
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Easy Going, Easy
Growing Organic Basil
Organic herbs, like basil, can be the easiest plants to
grow – especially in the springtime. Just sow the seeds,
sit back and relax.
You will need:
Small clay flowerpot · A handful of small pebbles and
soil from your garden or a park (ask your parents for
permission before you dig!) · Organic basil seeds · A lollipop stick and a marker
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Spring
1. Line the bottom of the pot with the small pebbles,
and then add soil until the pot is ¾ full. Sprinkle on
5–6 seeds and lightly cover them with soil.
2. Put the pot in the sun, and keep the soil moist until
the seeds sprout. Insert the lollipop stick into the soil.
3. Check the basil every couple of days, and mark how
tall they’ve grown on the lollipop stick.
4. You can start picking the basil as soon as it has several leaves. If you harvest frequently, you’ll encourage your plants to grow even more – which means
even more tasty basil for you.
Basil is delicious in tomato sauce or pesto!!
Give it a try!
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The Garden Detective
Here is a great game for you and your friends to sharpen
your senses and hone your detective skills using organic herbs. Herbs are plants such as parsley, basil and
oregano. Each herb has a distinct scent that often has
a practical purpose too, such as attracting insects for
pollination or protecting its leaves from pests. Insects
can tell the difference, but is your nose keen enough to
solve the mystery?
You will need:
Fresh organic herbs, like basil, thyme, rosemary, sage,
mint, etc. · A couple of friends
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Summer
1. Ask your parents to help you and your friends collect
some fresh organic herbs.
2. Take a branch or leaf of each organic herb and put it
on the table. Smell each one and say its name aloud.
Study it carefully!
3. Now close your eyes and have your friends give you
one herb at a time. Try to identify the herb only
through touch and smell.
4. After finishing your turn, let another friend test out
his or her detective skills on the organic herbs. For
an extra challenge, give two herbs to the “detective”
and see how sharp their skills really are!
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Apple Candleholders
(Appropriate for children 6 years or older. Parental
supervision recommended)
Apples bring lots of vitamins and fibres into your diet
to help you stay healthy … and now they bring light too!
You can help decorate your family’s dinner tables with
these funky candleholders made out of crisp, organic
apples.
You will need:
Large organic apples that can stand upright on a table ·
Candles · Waxed paper · A potato peeler and lemon juice
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Summer
1. Using an apple corer make a hole in the middle of
the apple, that is as wide as the candle and goes halfway down the apple’s length – ask an adult for help!
Make the hole as straight as possible and remove the
piece of core.
2. Insert a candle into the hole so it fits snugly. If the
hole is too large, wrap waxed paper around the bottom of the candle.
3. Decorate the apples by carefully carving designs in
the skin with the tip of the potato peeler (rub the
designs with lemon juice to prevent the designs from
turning brown).
4. Arrange the apple candleholders in a circle on a plate
or cutting board, and place on the table.
Always ask an adult to light the candles for you.
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Autumn
Memories Game
The leaves are changing colours and soon the bare trees
will be a daily reminder of winter. Here is a fun and
simple game you can play with your friends to test your
memory and to keep a part of this magical season with
you through the cold months ahead.
You will need:
10 cardboard cards of equal size · Two heavy books ·
Waxed paper and glue
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Autumn
1. Collect a variety of different leaves from outside.
Choose at least five pairs of leaves – for example, two
chestnut tree leaves, two oak leaves, etc.
2. Dry the leaves by laying them flat between two pieces
of waxed paper and placing a heavy book on top of
them. Set aside for 7–10 days.
3. When the leaves are completely dry, take the cardboard cards and carefully glue one leaf on each card.
4. Invite your friends over to play memory with you!
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Showtime!
Starring Corn Puppets
Autumn is the time for organic corn, a vegetable packed
with vitamins and other good stuff to make you strong.
But organic corn is not only good to eat … you can bring
this golden vegetable to life as a show-stealing puppet.
You will need:
An ear of organic corn with the husk · A wooden stick ·
Felt · coloured cardboard · big seeds or nuts · Glue
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Autumn
1. Dry the corn in a warm place for a few days.
2. When they are dry, ask an adult to help you pierce a
wooden stick into the flat end of the corn.
3. Leave the corn silk on the pointed end and carefully
peel down the husks, but don’t pull them off. This
will be your puppet’s collar.
4. Now let your imagination run wild! Use the coloured
cardboard, felt, seeds, nuts and glue to make a face
on your ear of corn
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An Organic Food
Restaurant for Birds!
It’s cold outside and the birds in your neighbourhood
may have a hard time finding good things to eat. Why
not open an organic food restaurant for them? An
empty organic milk carton can become a chic place for
birds to enjoy their meals.
You will need:
A clean, empty organic milk carton · Scissors and paint ·
Wood chips or small flat pieces of wood · A wooden
dowel or a thick, straight stick · Organic birdseed
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Winter
1. Paint the empty milk carton and let it dry. Then cut
“doors” on opposite sides of the milk carton about
halfway up the carton.
2. Glue the wood chips or pieces as “tiles” on the roof.
For a perch, poke holes below the doors and slip the
dowel or stick through them.
3. Fill the bottom of the feeder with birdseed mix or make
your own by combining a variety of organic seeds, such
as organic sunflower seeds and yellow corn.
4. With help from an adult, hang the feeder with wire
in a spot that’s easy to see, but far enough away from
fences or posts to prevent attacks from predators.
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Freezing Cold
Sun Catcher
During the long winter months, there is no better treat
than a day of sunshine. Capture the sun’s bright rays for
yourself with this super cool sun catcher.
You will need:
A shoelace or heavy string · A disposable pie plate ·
Water · Scissors · Organic oranges or lemons
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Winter
1.Fold the shoelace or string in half and place the two
ends across the centre of the pie plate.
2. Carefully peel the oranges and lemons so that the
peel comes off in large pieces. Cut out one large circle
for the “sun” and lots of long triangles as “rays”.
3. Arrange the “sun” and its “rays” into the pie plate,
with the coloured side face up. Gently pour water
into the plate until it is almost full. Place plate outside (if it’s cold enough) or in your freezer.
4. Once it is frozen, remove the ice from the plate and
have an adult hang it from a low branch where it can
catch the sun.
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