PBS KIDS recently announced a new partnership with Whole Foods Market, the world's leading natural and organic grocer, that will provide fun, easy-to-use tools and educational resources to help families make educated decisions about organic foods and encourage healthy lifestyles.

The "Fantastic Organic" campaign will utilize online resources from PBS Parents, PBS KIDS and Whole Foods Market to help families learn to cook, shop and explore organic foods together. Select Whole Foods Market stores will host in-store events for kids and families to share facts, tips, and advice about buying organic products.

"We are committed to helping kids learn and grow, and this includes providing resources to children and families that help build and maintain healthy lifestyles," said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. "In partnership with Whole Foods Market, PBS KIDS is providing communities with a variety of educational and fun activities, games, and apps that will help families gain a deeper understanding of organics and healthy eating to nourish young minds and bodies."

"Fantastic Organic" Online and In-Store

Online, families can explore organics at PBSPARENTS.org/fantasticorganic. The website features recipes and tips for simple and healthy organic meals and snacks, shopping tips, videos and interactive activities for kids that help parents encourage healthy eating.

To engage families at the supermarket, participating Whole Foods Market stores will host "The Hunt for Organics," an in-store scavenger hunt. The game comes with an activity sheet and instructions so parents and kids can have fun while they shop by searching for different organic fruits and vegetables, matching organic foods with labels and counting progress along the way.

Children can redeem their completed activity sheet for an Organic Valley prize pack that includes a lunch bag and coupon for Organic Valley products. All participants can enter for the grand prize drawing of a one-year supply of Organic Valley products. "Organic foods and supporting healthy eating education are at the core of what we do, and we’re excited to partner with PBS KIDS to inspire healthier food choices during the back-to-school season," said Scott Simons, senior global marketing director for Whole Foods Market.

Back-to-School Healthy Eating

PBS Parents is also providing helpful tips and tricks to help parents jump start healthy eating habits for kids this fall, including:

• Get them involved. If you involve kids in planning meals, going grocery shopping, and preparing food, they will become invested in the process and more likely to eat well. Even toddlers who may be too young to make grocery lists can help you make healthy choices (pears or nectarines? cheddar or swiss?) along the way.

• Go to the source. Teach kids where their food comes from. Rather than limiting yourself to the weekly supermarket run, take your family to a local farmer’s market (or to the farm itself) and meet the people who grow food.

• Make healthy snacks available. If you stock the kitchen exclusively with healthy treats, children will eat them. As your children grow, stock good snacks in cabinets and shelves that they can reach without your help.

• Drink to that. Remember that children do not have to just eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, they can also drink them. Healthy smoothies and mixed fruit drinks like Kiwi-Strawberry and Fizzy’s pomegranate water can be a fun way to introduce new fruits and vegetables into children’s diets.