ITHACA, N.Y. -- Adults and children can make an acid-base indicator to test foods, read a book about a rabbit gardener and then sprout a kidney bean, or test several foods for fat using a paper towel.

These activities are examples from two new Cornell Cooperative Extension publications that combine fun, food, nutrition and science experiments for parents, teachers, 4-H club leaders, scout leaders and other adults to do with children ages 5 to 12.

By doing fun experiments in Kitchen Science for Kids, children will begin to discover the physical and chemical properties of food. The five experiments show that foods are mixtures of many components such as odor molecules, seeds, fat and acids.

Each 20-minute experiment includes procedures, lists of supplies, questions to discuss, additional activities to extend the learning and notes for leaders. The 36-page booklet also includes 22 recipes for children, a list of children's books, and a cut-and-fold activity to learn about the new Food Guide Pyramid.

Families will learn about nutrition by reading children's books and doing science activities in the new program, In the Bag: Families Sharing Science Together. The teaching material includes a leader's guide that tells what story books to use, how to assemble materials in plastic bags for loan and how to manage a successful loaning program. Also included are parent letters to photocopy. Each parent letter suggests ways to talk about the storybook with a child and how to do two related science experiments together. The letter also includes a recipe, titles of other children's books and a physical activity or game. All activities, geared for children ages 5 to 8, are connected to themes in the storybooks.

Both publications were written by Tracy Farrell and Patricia Thonney, extension associates in the Division of Nutritional Sciences of the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University. The teaching material was field-tested and evaluated by Cornell Cooperative Extension staff in three counties who reached about 200 children and three dozen families in several community programs during a 1-year pilot project.

EDITORS: Review copies are available by contacting Carol Doolittle, (607) 255-5830 or fax, (607) 255-9873.

"In designing the activities, we wanted adults and children to have fun together learning about nutrition," Farrell said. "Reading and doing science experiments are very active and developmentally appropriate ways of sharing ideas about nutrition with children."

"Studies show that children need many kinds of experiences with science and that out-of-school experiences are very instrumental in getting them excited about science," added Thonney. "These publications will help parents and other adult mentors encourage children's natural curiosity and tendency to enjoy science."

Kitchen Science for Kids is $4.75; In the Bag: Families Sharing Science Together is $6.75. Prices include shipping and handling. Copies are available from the Cornell University Resource Center, 7BTP, Ithaca, NY 14850 or from Cornell Cooperative Extension offices throughout New York. Development of the publications was supported by the American Chemical Society, the New York State 4-H Foundation and Cornell Cooperative Extension.