Food Education: Digging for Sweet Potatoes

After singing a sweet-potato rock-paper-scissors song and watching a paper-puppet story about digging for potatoes, Jungle class could hardly wait for their trip. Rain the previous day had worried us, but the day itself brought clear skies—perfect weather for digging!

We visited the farm that helps us each year, about 30 minutes from school by bus, to harvest the sweet potatoes Mountain class had planted in May. After greeting the farmers and taking a cheerful photo, we got started. At school, the Jungle children had wondered whether they could pull the potatoes out with a big heave, just like in “The Enormous Turnip.” In reality, pulling alone did not work! Teachers and farmers loosened the soil around the potatoes, and the children copied them, digging for themselves. They were delighted when clusters of potatoes finally emerged.

With some help from the adults, we brought back four cardboard boxes of sweet potatoes. We enjoyed some straight away as our afternoon snack. As the children peeled off the skins little by little, they said, “It’s so yummy!” and “It’s sweet!” Potatoes they had dug up themselves seemed to taste especially good.

During Japanese class that afternoon, we observed the potatoes. “The vines look like whiskers!” “There are big ones, tiny ones and long, thin ones.” “They’re a lovely reddish-purple after washing!” “They’re yellow inside when you cut them!” After making these discoveries, the children took turns choosing potatoes to bring home. Some picked the biggest they could find, while others preferred small ones—another little glimpse of their individual personalities.

Once everyone had chosen, we talked about how insects like sweet potatoes too: some had already been nibbled underground, and others were too thin to eat. Having just enjoyed their snack, the children understood: “They were sweet and delicious!” “The bugs want to eat them too!” We cut up these unusable potatoes and finished with potato stamping. Round stamps of different sizes and a variety of paints made for a fun art session. Touching the potato “whiskers” and carefully holding the thin potatoes also gave the children a chance to explore the crop before it was cooked.

At home time, the Jungle children proudly dragged bags full of potatoes along with them. Smelling the soil as they dug, tasting the fresh harvest, and touching the potatoes through art made this a day full of sweet potatoes and sensory discovery!