Whether you have a finicky toddler or an adventurous preschooler, making meal times fun is a great way to keep things exciting!
We love to try new things in our house. M is 4.5 and G is almost one so they both get in on the mealtime fun!
Toothpicks
M loves when I spear her fruit (which she loves to cut with a melon baller!) with fancy toothpicks. It makes it easier for her to eat and adds a touch of flair that gets her gobbling down cantaloupe, grapes, peaches, and pears.
Fishing for Snacks
Use a muffin mold and fill one well with peanut butter (aka: bait). Put pretzel sticks (aka: fishing poles) in another well and then fill the rest with Goldfish, raisins, or mini chocolate chips. Have your tot “fish” for her snack. Fine motor skills and food fun in one!
Cookie Cutters
Slice through apples, watermelon, or bread with fun cookie cutters! It’s sure to bring a whole new excitement over lunch!
Muffin Tin Buffet
At our house, we call it “Silly Meal.” I fill a mini muffin tin with a ton of different types of food (usually what the adults are eating, but just made in small portions). She gets to pick and choose what she eats, when she eats it, and in which order she goes. Super fun and colorful, too!
Count ‘Em Up!
Using another silicon mold, I place snacks in some wells and number cards in another. M matches the number card to the correct well (one box of raisins gets the “1” card, and so on). Counting, matching, snacking… Perfection!
Tiny Molds
We love to pick up little packs of molds when we see them at the dollar store. We use them to house tiny snacks but also to serve as “decoration stations” when we eat yogurt, ice cream, or even baked potatoes! The variety makes things new and exciting and sometimes, M is even more apt to try something new when it’s presented in a fresh way!
We love mealtimes at our house and hope you can try out a new idea, too!
Written by Jill
JDaniel4's Mom
Monday 23rd of April 2012
What wonderful ways to serve food!