A small sign of spring appeared in Evesham on the morning of March 13 when about 20 children aged 3 to 5 gathered for the Evesham Library’s “Snack Attack” program. The kids in attendance heard stories about spring, hunted for leprechauns, and had a lesson on how to prepare a healthy snack with seasonal ingredients.
The event was a joint effort between children’s librarian Holly Hoskins and registered dietician Ashley Cully of ShopRite of Marlton. Hoskins said she likes to coordinate and plan activities around the particular snack that Cully happens to choose.
“Ashley normally selects the snack, and that sets the theme,” Hoskins said. “We try and do things to include seasonal items that are readily available without high cost in a food store so people can go home and replicate these types of healthy snacks.”
As the children filed into the room, Hoskins had them start with a small workout session to get rid of their excess energy and work up a hunger. The kids went through some motions to mimic everything from being a peeled banana, a butterfly and even a dinosaur.
Afterward, the kids sat down for a story about a small bear exploring the new spring forest. Hoskins said events like “Snack Attack” were also a good way to just get more kids into the library and expose them to books.
“We like to have varied programming that meets the needs of our community,” Hoskins said. “We see the library as a learning center but also as a community center.”
Once the snack was ready, the kids quickly ran to the tables where Cully had placed an assortment of colorful fruits such as grapes, strawberries, mangos, bananas and oranges, so the kids could arrange their food into a rainbow to symbolize the upcoming start of spring.
After completing their rainbows, the children were given yellow raisins to stand in for a pot of gold. Cully said all her snack activities promote a simple theme the kids can understand and enjoy.
“March is National Nutrition Month,” Cully said. “I always try to promote colors of the rainbow, and with St. Patrick’s Day it just seemed like the perfect fit.” Grandmother Marguerite O’Neill was at the event with her grandchildren Julie, Leah and Ryan Plantier. She said she and the kids often attend events at the library, but they were still getting something new out of every trip.
“It was a great craft,” O’Neill said. “The kids really enjoyed it, and they tried different fruits that hey had never had.”
O’Neill was also responsible for inviting first-time visitors Joe Gallagher and his daughter Erin to the event.
Gallagher had great first impressions and said the program was a great learning activity to get the kids out and around the other kids in the neighborhood.
“I think they really learned how to put their listening ears on,” Gallagher said. “I think they learned their colors, about St. Patrick’s Day and about different fruits.”
After munching on their rainbow creations, the kids trained their counting skills by finding leprechauns that were hidden throughout the room. As for Cully’s snack portion of the program, she said she just loves food, kids and teaching, so a successful class is anytime where the kids just try something new.
“It’s always a positive reaction,” Cully said. “Even if it’s a recipe they’re hesitant to try, they still have fun doing it. ”
After the kids had bagged up their leftover fruits and moved back to the library’s main room, Hoskins said the program was one of the more popular activities at the library and has definitely helped kids and families learn more about healthy eating.
“It’s a very popular program we have,” Hoskins said. “We’ve had it for several years and seen a lot of siblings through. The families will stay with us. It’s free food, healthy eating and then Ashley’s had some people from the library look for her at work for some dietary advice.”
