Finally, a #Holiday Charlie and Bradley can sneak their teeth into. Can you guess what the #Holiday was or when? If not let me tell you the Holiday fell on 🥔 March 14 and it was National Potato Chip Day. A #Holiday David and I can sink our teeth into as well. What about you and your friends and family?
National Potato Chip Day is a crunchy, kid‑friendly celebration with history, recipes, books, and hands‑on learning.
đź“ś How National Potato Chip Day Began
Here’s the fun, family‑friendly version your readers will love:
- Potato chips were accidentally invented in 1853 by chef George Crum in Saratoga Springs, NY.
- A picky customer kept sending back his fried potatoes for being “too thick,” so Crum sliced them paper‑thin, fried them crisp, and the potato chip was born.
- Chips became popular nationwide in the early 1900s when mass‑production made them easy to package and sell.
- National Potato Chip Day is celebrated every year on March 14 to honor America’s favorite salty snack. Make sure you make your calendar, so you don’t forget to celebrate next year.
🍽️ Kid‑Friendly Potato Chip Recipes
1. Homemade Baked Potato Chips
Ingredients:
- Potatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Optional: paprika, ranch seasoning, cinnamon sugar
Directions:
- Slice potatoes thin (kids can help with a mandoline supervised or use pre‑sliced).
- Toss lightly in oil and seasoning.
- Bake at 400°F for 12–18 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Cool until crisp.
2. Potato Chip Nachos
- Layer chips with shredded cheese, beans, tomatoes, and olives.
- Bake until melty.
- Add sour cream or salsa.
3. Chocolate‑Dipped Chips
- Melt chocolate.
- Dip ridged chips halfway.
- Chill on parchment.
- Perfect sweet‑salty treat.
🎉 Celebration Ideas for Families & Classrooms
- Chip Tasting Bar: Try classic, kettle, baked, BBQ, sour cream & onion, and fun flavors. Le the children vote on their favorite flavor, best texture and best bag and name. Have them create a graph to track the answers and write a report on why they think this Potato Chip won.
- Guess the Flavor Game: Blindfold kids and let them guess flavors and brands. Graph the answers and have discussion questions for them to answer.
- Chip Art: Use broken chips to make textured collages.
- Build‑Your‑Own Chip Bag: Kids design their own brand and flavor.
- Crunch‑O‑Meter: Rate chips on crunch, saltiness, and flavor. Another graphing project.
đź“š Books About Potatoes & Snacks
Perfect for homeschool or classroom reading:
- The Potato King by Christoph Niemann
- Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression by Kate Lied
- The Potato Chip Champ by Maria Dismondy
- Two Old Potatoes and Me by John Coy
🎓 Homeschool Lesson Plan
Theme: Potato Chips — History, Math, Science, Reading Ages: K–6 Time: 45–60 minutes
1. Reading & History
- Read a short biography of George Crum.
- Locate New York on a map.
- Discuss how inventions can happen by accident.
2. Math Activities
- Chip Fractions: Break chips into halves, thirds, quarters.
- Graphing: “Which chip flavor is our favorite?”
- Estimation: How many chips in a bag?
3. Science Experiment
Which chip is the crunchiest?
- Test kettle vs. baked vs. classic.
- Observe sound, texture, and oiliness.
- Record results in a chart.
4. Writing Prompt
Kids draw the chip bag and describe the taste.
“If I could invent a new potato chip flavor, it would be…”
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
