Happy Spring!

I promised you all more kid-friendly content this year so today I’m sharing one of our favorite games – Fruit and Veggie Bingo – complete with free, printable cards to play along!

This game is a great way to get kids (and adults!) to start thinking about seasonal produce and trying new things – after all, if you want to cross of a square, you need to try what’s in it!

What is Fruit and Veggie Bingo?

Simply put, it’s a Bingo-style board, but instead of numbers, each space features a seasonal produce item for spring.

It’s designed to get you thinking about seasonal eating – and trying new things!

I’ve included eight different printable boards below, so everyone in the family can play!

How do you play?

Our house rules are that once you try a food on the board, you color that space. We play for “full board” over the course of the season- attempting to at least taste every square on the board!

Everyone in the family – adults included! – gets their own board and we race to see who is the first to get a line, the first to get all four corners, the first to make an X, etc.

We, personally, don’t offer prizes – just a pat on the back. If you did want to offer a tangible reward, try letting the winner pick what vegetable to serve with dinner the next night!

What is included on the board?

Each board has 24 fruit and vegetable squares and a free space. The produce included in the spring board is:

• Apples
• Apricots
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Collard Greens
• Garlic
• Kale
• Kiwifruit
• Lemons
• Lettuce
• Limes
• Mushrooms
• Onions
• Peas
• Pineapples
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips

This list is based on the USDA’s Seasonal Produce Guide.

Is there a picky eater version?

No! These boards are a great way to get everyone trying new things – picky or not. Depending on how reluctant your eaters are, I encourage you to develop your own “house rules”. Maybe one bite earns coloring a box – maybe five works better for your family. If filling a whole board is overwhelming, start with just one line.

Even if you’re looking at the list and thinking I/we/the kids won’t eat that, keep in mind – you won’t know until you try! We started doing bingo boards about a year ago and I’ve been blown away by how much my kids will try for the sake of checking off a box!

What if I can’t find everything on the board in my store?

Starting at the beginning of the season – and depending on your location – you might not be able to find everything today. The board is designed to be seasonal, so over the next few months things should become available at your store.

If you are having trouble locating things, feel free to substitute with frozen or canned produce – or call an audible and change squares completely!

Ready to play?

Print your Fruit and Veggie Bingo Cards Here!

If you play along at home, I’d love if you post your boards to social media and tag me! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.