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Why wait to go on a vacation? You can let your taste buds take you on a world tour! OK, maybe not one as exciting as going to an exotic island where you can snorkel with great big yellow fish and pink spongy-looking things. But - here's what you do. Go to the kitchen and see if you have a mango in your fruit bowl. If you don't, you might have to inform your family's grocery shopper that it's time to try something tasty. You can convince that person by letting them know how nutritious mangos are - there's more to them than sweet juicy-lusciousness.
Once you get a mango in the kitchen, have an adult cut it open. If they don't know how, here's a good place to learn. Now, put a slice of mango on your tongue, close your mouth and close your eyes and let's see what your imagination can do... You're hanging out on a warm, sandy beach with crystal clear water splashing at your feet. The sun is hot. The sky is blue. Could this be real? The fruity fragrance of the mango fills your nose and suddenly, it's a vacation for your senses! Mmmmmmm....
Next get out a globe or a map of the world. That yummy mango you just tasted probably came from somewhere exotic. Look on the map and find Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. They're all in South America. Now move north into Central America and you'll see Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Further north is Mexico and east of Mexico is the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and Haiti. Here in the U.S. we eat mangos from all of these tropical places. And, there are even a few mangos grown right here in the U.S. - in Florida and California. So, when you eat mangos, look at the sticker on the fruit to find out where it came from and let the taste of the mango take you THERE.