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Ages 3 to 6 years. 'Purple Spaghetti': Apparently when I was about 4 I invited friends to lunch and coloured the mash potato green in order for it not to be BORING! When my children were small and very picky eaters I prepared everything with sprinkles over it. But for my Grandchildren I knew this would not be welcomed as today's young mothers are so much better informed about nutrition than we were. When they came over I had to report back that they had eaten lunch or I felt I would have failed in my grandmotherly duty. This led to my colouring the spaghetti with a tiny splash of food colouring and was greeted with great glee and willing appetites. Consequently, for a while afterwards they refuse to eat pasta unless it is coloured but that soon wears off and by then they are well into eating pasta. This story is every kid's favourite and I have received many an accolade for it. 'Grandma's Orange cloth': This story developed from the tears when one knocks one's drink over - for young parents, a daily occurrence. I tried to show one can turn an upset into a fun deal and at the same time teach them something about colour mixing and problem solving. With all the options from yellow to red a good outcome was perceived. 'Apples are Apples': When their parents went away and the "grandies" came to stay with me, every lunch box was a major discussion; 'I don't want green grapes only red.' 'I only eat red apples, mommy never gives me green apples...' So this was a game which showed them that there really isn't a great deal of difference and if you like apples, all apples are good for you. The game became popular and we had many laughs.
