A fun way to bond during the muddy month of March is to prepare a rainbow snack platter together. When kids take part in preparing food, they’re more likely to sample the foods! Our kiddos can be part of every process in this preparation. Let’s start!
Step one: Make the grocery list. We want this to be a rainbow dish, so be sure to pick a food your child is familiar with (“safe food”) and foods they’re not familiar with, a challenge (“new food”)! Here are some ideas, what can you come up with?
- Red- tomatoes, red peppers, strawberries
- Orange- tangerines, carrots, cheese
- Yellow- yellow pepper, pineapple, summer squash
- Green- grapes, sweet peas, seaweed chips
- Blue- blueberries, blackberries, concord grapes
- Purple- figs, prunes, eggplant
Step two: Go to the store! Have your children help you pick out the snacks. Depending on the age of the child you can discuss budgeting, sticking to a list, and the location of the different types of food.
Step three: Rinse and prepare the snacks appropriately. Rinsing veggies and fruits is an important and easy task that most kids should be able to help with! A lot of veggies can also be cut with a butter knife, or a child safe practice knife. If you feel comfortable, show your child a safe method to chop different fruits and veggies.
Step four: Arrange. Have your children set up the plate! Talk about color, sizes and shapes. This is a really fun part of the activity!
Step five: Snack! I hope your whole family tries all the different foods you prepared. It’s ok to like or dislike what you taste. That’s a part of trying new things!
Happy snacking!
Ms. Jackie
