try something new with kids: coconut

We’re big fans of mixing up the fun and learning over here, always trying a little something new each week.

We’ve done restaurants, foods, crafts, games, vacations, and more. It’s always fun, and while it keeps Maddy, Owen, and Cora on the hunt for new and exciting things to try, it also keeps their minds open for trying new things.

What I haven’t realized is that even if we tried something new a year or two ago, it’s worth revisiting again.

Like the coconut.

Here’s the skinny. . .

• Try Something New With Your Kids–Coconut:  We rocked the coconut years ago. I mean years ago.

Check it out: New for us Friday–Going Coconutty!

Written on July 17, 2009–four years ago. And my kids had little to no memory of it.

So when we were at the grocery store this past weekend and saw the coconuts sitting there smiling at us from the shelf, Maddy said, Mom! Hey! Let’s get a coconut and try it out!

I said, Maddy, we already did that–I’m sure you remember, don’t you? It was so hard to open and we had to watch YouTube videos about it. Remember?

She didn’t.

And neither did Owen.

And neither did Cora.

 

So of course we bought the coconut because really? If my kids were doing these cool things and weren’t remembering, then by all means, we’ll rock a Coconuts 2.0.

And Coconuts 3.0 if we must.

The crazy thing? I had no recollection of how to properly open a coconut. So it was really a smart idea for our family to do a coconut-do-over. Clearly we needed it.

We checked out my previous post on How to Open a Coconut to refresh our memories. We watched the videos, looked at the photos, and then got to work.

This whole thing? Dangerous.

Keep your kids away if you are a smart parent. . .

. . . not like me who left them to run in and answer the phone.

The whole coconut-opening process was not easy. I tried everything on the video, but I could. Not. Open. The. Coconut.

Poking a hole and getting the coconut water out was easy.

It was finding the ‘equator’ and cracking it in half that was difficult.

Phone rang. Like a good mama, I ran in to get it. (Our air conditioning was broken! It could have been the repair person!) I left Maddy with the hammer and the feisty coconut.

My determined girl.

Putting the coconut on the ground and hammering it seemed to have been the ticket.

Or a really, really strong 9 year old. . .

Maddy did it.

While on the phone with the HVAC guy (I swear it was him!), I heard: MOMMY!! I DID IT! I DID IT! I DIDDDDD IT! MOOOOOOM!!!

I ran outside, hoping to God that she didn’t bust her finger or break the porch, and I found the cracked coconut and a super-happy Maddy.

All I had to do was put it on the ground, hit it hard, and it cracked! Wooo-hooo!!!!

We tried the coconut (once again), and we determined that we had the same tastebuds after four years: we were not fans of the coconut meat. At all.

But we worked hard, tried it, and now–hopefully–my kids will remember.  And if anyone has a suggestion for opening a coconut with ease, please do share. I’d love to learn.

Not that we’re going to try coconuts again anytime soon, but in another four years, who knows. . . just a little learning on the fly, on a hot summer afternoon.

Want a few more ways to get kids to try new foods?  Click on Get Your Kids to Try New Foods for some inspiration!   Or check out our neat-o, fun, NEW things for us to try pinterest board!