Children at Roxburgh's health camp cast their eyes on the potato this week.
The potato fun day on Monday involved the Potato Olympics, a scavenger hunt, potato carving and cooking potatoes.
Camp manager Maureen Connor said it was an opportune time to recognise the health benefits of the vegetable, this year being the United Nations International Year of the Potato.
‘‘I thought it was a joke when I first heard it, but it's not,'' Mrs Connor said.
There are 50 varieties of potatoes, the 14 children enrolled at Te Puna Whaiora Children's Health Camp, Roxburgh discovered.
Before everyone took part in a scavenger hunt - for potatoes of course - the children were asked what they knew about potatoes.
Mrs Connor fielded comments from the children such as: ‘‘potatoes are disgusting'', ‘‘they make chips'', ‘‘they have vitamins'', and ‘‘they give you energy''.
The Potato Olympics involved challenges such as the longest potato peel and the potato sack race and was followed by afternoon tea which included potato chips served with a drink to wash them down.
Former potato growers Nelson and Roseanne Pyper, of Invercargill, helped the children to make potato carvings and Alexandra New World produce manager Brent Ormond led a cooking demonstration on making potato wedges.
After dinner, certificates were presented to those who had taken part in the day and to competition winners of a colouring-in competition run by the health camp.
The winners, Caitlan Jonston (6) and Josh McDougall (10), of Roxburgh Area School, and Ruby Parker (9), of Millers Flat School, were invited to come along with their families for dinner, followed by the presentation.
