PCA - The Peanut Company Of Australia

Some Nutty Fun!

There are lots of ways that children can have fun with peanuts! And we have several suggestions right here on this page:

Colour In These Peanut People

Peanut people always go nuts when it comes to having a good time ... whether they're cooking in the kitchen, having fun at a party or just hanging about being healthy!

Peanut people

Print off a copy of your favourite
peanut person and then colour them in

Here's some pictures of peanut people having a good time which you can download, print out and colour in:

Fun Ideas For Easy Snacks

Here's some great ideas for children's snacks, recipes and other ways to include peanuts in a healthy diet.

Some healthy (and tasty) ways to add peanuts to your diet:
Healthy Snacks on the Run (54kb)
Children bored? How about making your own peanut butter or trying some of these easy recipes:
Fun Ideas for Kids After School and on Weekends (47kb)

Grow Peanuts At Home

Anyone can grow their own peanuts at home in a pot ... or in the backyard!

This can be a great holiday project for schoolchildren. Plant the nuts from October to December when the soil temperature is about 20 degrees celsius. Here's how to do it:

Purchase raw unroasted peanuts from a health food shop.
De-shell the peanuts carefully if they are not already unshelled, making certain the kernels stay complete and the skins stay on. Split kernels will not germinate.
A light dusting with tomato dust (available at gardening stores) will also help the peanuts to successfully germinate.
Sow the peanuts kernels about 50-100mm below the soil surface and water in well.
If growing in a large pot, cover the soil with a few sheets of newspaper and place in a sheltered spot.
Do not water the peanuts again until they have sprouted about a week later.
After that, be careful not to overwater as peanuts dislike water close to their roots for long periods. A few deep waterings to ensure water reaches the taproot should be sufficient.
Within six-seven weeks, the plants should be producing yellow flowers. When these self-pollinate, the flower stalks (or "pegs") grow into the ground and begin to develop peanut pods.
The crop should be mature in about 18 - 20 weeks.
The peanuts are ready for harvesting when a peg eased from the soil reveals a mature nut.

A diagram of a peanut bush

Can you identify the different parts
of a peanut bush?

An Activity For Young Farmers

Can You Name The Parts Of A Peanut Bush?

Print out the image at right and then label the following important sections of the plant:

Root
Peanut
Stem
Flower
Leaf
Peg

PS: You can get a larger size picture of this peanut bush to print out by clicking here.

Peanut Butter Bird Feeder



	Use a pine cone like this to build a peanut butter bird feeder

Here's an easy and fun project to do at home ... and your feathered friends will love you for it!

Hang a Peanut Butter Bird Feeder in a tree; birds will soon find it and keep coming back.

You'll need:

A large open pine cone (you'll find these at the base of pine trees in many parks)
A small packet of wild bird seed
Peanut butter
String

Put the birdseed on a saucer. Roll small balls of peanut butter into the seed and then press the balls into the pine cone.

Finally, tie the string around the pine cone and carefully hang it from a low tree branch. Birds will soon discover your feeder and if you refresh it regularly they'll continue to come back.