2025 Winter Solstice Kids' Soup-Off Competition

Josie Hough
Jan 25
4 min read

Oneota Conservation Foundation

Winter Solstice Party

On December 21st (you guessed it, the Winter Solstice) I was invited to be one of four judges for the "Kids' Soup Cook Off "at the Winter Solstice Party hosted at Oneota Park in Spencer.

The event had so many fun activities for everyone and the weather was AMAZING - one of those days where you think..."I can make it to through the next four months in NW Iowa."

The event had cookie decorating, holiday hay-rack rides, hands-on crafts, a kids' soup cook off, and a bonfire. The perfect way to welcome winter’s stillness and celebrate the return of the sun.

"The Winter Solstice invites us to pause, reflect, and find warmth in community and nature’s quiet beauty."

- Oneota Conservation Foundation

Kids' Soup Cook-Off

Here are the guidelines for the soup cook off:

1. The soup must be homemade and include adult supervision.

2. The soup may be made by a group of kids or individually.

Transport in a slow cooker or container.
Deliver the soup to the Oneota Lodge by 1:30 PM on December 21st.

Kids must provide:

1. Title of your soup.

2. Reason you decided to make this soup.

3. A list of ingredients for allergy awareness.

There were seven entries for us to judge on four specific categories. Each soup was scored from 1 to 5, with 5 being "a party in your mouth." :)

Here is a brief run down of each category.

Flavor:

Taste and seasoning

Creativity:

Unique ingredients or fun name

Presentation:

How it looks (garnish, color, etc)

Kid Chef Spirit:

Enthusiasm, theme, or storytelling behind the soup

Entry One :: Comfort Yule Soup

Entry Two :: Broccoli Cheese Soup

Entry Three :: Lazy Sunday Chowder

Entry Four :: Taco Soup

Entry Five :: Italian Wedding Soup

Entry Six :: Chicken Parm Soup

Entry Seven :: River's Solstice Soup

This was a tough judging gig.

These soups were all fantastic (so creative) and the scoring ranged from a total of 13 to 19 overall - with my top three being separated by one point - an extremely close contest.

My top three soups were:

River's Solstice Soup
Comfort Yule Soup
Italian Wedding Soup

I offered up just a few things as a home cook ( and hobby blogger )

To the parents: Keep your kids in the kitchen with you.

Let your kids help you meal plan and prep, budget for and get groceries, and then have them help you in the kitchen as much as you can.

Busy happens (a lot) and sometimes it is much easier to not have them underfoot - BUT - the feeling of cooking with your children and teaching them how to cook is special and valuable.

To the kids: Try all new foods and be adventurous.

Congratulations to the kids on a job well done and bravo to the parents and Liz Kluver who helped make this such a fun contest!!!

Thank you for the invitation to be a guest judge. I was incredibly honored and left with a big smile and full stomach.

Below you will find some more information about the Oneota Conservation Foundation and how to get involved!!

What is the Oneota Conservation Foundation?

The Oneota Conservation Foundation was formed in cooperation with the Clay County Conservation Board in October 2005. It was established in response to public concern over the rapid decline of woodlands, prairies, wetlands, and other natural areas. The goals are as follows:

Promote environmental education and the awareness of natural resource conservation.
Facilitate the acquisition and maintenance of public areas in Clay County.
Support outdoor recreation and camping areas in the county.

Foundation Board Members: Luana Nair, Liz Kluver, Trista Elsbecker, Brenda Griffin, Paul Becker and Abby Weber

Winnie’s Nature Playscape

Winifred Schoenewe “Winnie” was the light that brightened any room she went into. Her spunky and kind heart led to the plan of building a nature playscape at Oneota Park.

Why - We are helping to bring healthy risk and adventure back into the lives of children! Adventure playgrounds are places where kids can freely experiment and create with loose materials. They are places for kids to get messy, get creative, and take risks!

Play - Play is absolutely crucial for healthy development of the children’s brains, bodies, and spirits. So many kids today are deprived of the basic right to play, as academic and social pressures displace unstructured free time. Kids need to mess around, to experiment, to imagine, and to take some risks! It is our mission to help create beautiful environments that support children’s right to play outside.

Coming Soon:

Oneota Environmental Learning Center

The Friends of Oneota Conservation Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) organization, is embarking on an exciting fundraising campaign to build the Oneota Environmental Learning Center.

Nature is Calling, make a donation towards "no child left indoors." Contribute to our quest to educate and connect generations. We hope to see this exciting and stimulating facility completed as soon as possible with people of all ages running in and out and all about the Oneota Environmental Learning Center.