Fun After School Snacks
Pretty much every child that I know loves animals. I’m not sure if it is because they can relate to animals better than adults (or act like them, or really what the connection is, but isn’t it endearing? We don’t have any animals at our house right now, but my girls ask me if when can get a dog probably on a weekly basis. I choose baby over dog right now… maybe when they’re 12.
Making your food fun for kids not only helps them want to eat the things you serve, but helps you to be creative and use foods you normally wouldn’t. I’ve often seen pictures of food crafts and think that I could/would not ever make that. But I promise you if you have the right tools and just a few extra minutes you CAN make them and will WANT to make them. If you have even one teeny tiny creative bone in your whole body, you will love making some of these fun animal snacks. And the best part is that you can get creative with your kids!
We wanted to provide you with some fun ideas to get you started and also some of the best tools to use when you are making fun food creations.
Raccoon Snack by Super Healthy Kids
This cute raccoon is a complete snack with all of the elements. It is just a matter of assembly. This is what we used:
Orange Fish by Canadian Family
Birds in a Nest by Crafty Moods
Peanut Butter Bear by A Whisk and Two Wands
Egg Chicks by Eye Candy
Caterpillar Pizza by Spoonful
Strawberry Banana Snake by Super Healthy Kids
Fruit Frog by Canadian Family
Cheesy Owl by Great Balls of Cheese by Michelle Buffardi
Puppy Snack by Meet the Dubiens
Bunny Snack by Super Healthy Kids
Peacock Snack by Creative Kids Snacks
Tools Used to Make Fun Food:
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
Learn More about Natalie
I REALLY love your website. Just what I need for my 3 year old son 🙂 and it is pretty to look at!
Wow! Your ideas are sensational… art on a plate & so much fun! Thanks.
My kids go crazy for a fresh, warm loaf of homemade bread right out of the oven. They consider it a great snack with some cheese or cold cuts any time of day…. especially after school when they arrive home famished! For the recipe I have nick-named “the spontaneous breadmaker’s dream come true!”
GO TO http://www.simplyfunfamilies.com/
and read the blog post for Delicious Homemade Bread – Super Quick and Incredibly Easy from April 20/14. Each recipe prepares enough dough for 2-3 loaves, and it can be baked after only a few hours OR refrigerated for up to 3 weeks for a warm loaf of homemade bread whenever the urge strikes!
Your ideas are sensational! Really so unique and beautiful! Thanks so much! My kids go crazy for a fresh, warm loaf of homemade bread any time of day… especially when they arrive home from school famished. For the recipe I refer to as “the spontaneous breadmaker’s dream come true!”
GO TO http://www.simplyfunfamilies.com/
and read the blog post for Delicious Homemade Bread…Super Quick and Incredibly Easy! from April 20, 2014. Each recipe prepares enough dough for 2-3 loaves, and it can be baked after only a few hours OR refrigerated for up to 3 weeks for a warm loaf of homemade bread whenever the urge strikes!
Three months ago, I decided to switch to healthier food choices. One of my friends recommended Luke’s Organic Chips and Crackers and I decided to give them a try. I must say, they are the best organic snacks I’ve ever had. My favorite is the brown rice chips (tastes better than it sounds) and my 4yr old loves the sea salt crackers. You can purchase them from our local Costco here in San Jose, CA or visit http://www.lukesorganic.com to find a retailer near you.
This kind of stuff makes me insane. I personally did not give birth to royalty. I am not turning food into art to get my kids to eat it. How many mattress do they need? I don’t even cut off crusts. This is just another example of how we are turning our kids into picky, entitled, oblivious adults. Do you think kids in Syria or Gaza care if their food is shaped like a cute animal?
We love to have fun with our food, and sometimes it is about creating fun, bonding, experiences! Sorry you don’t see eye to eye with us, but we have plenty of other recipes that are simple and easy to make that kids love.
My daughter has always been robust and incredibly healthy. With zero warning and in the course of two days, our lives were turned upside down when she started expressing encopresis symptoms. My daughter has been nearly incapacitated as a result and she hasn’t been able to attend school in almost five months. This is a sad time for her so if I can cheer her up by cutting her foods into animal shapes, I’m happy to do so. Kids with encopresis need to eat high fiber foods and these cute ideas make it much easier to get them to eat them. Doing this doesn’t make my child entitled or picky. It does, however, make her smile. Even if my child wasn’t ill, I’d still enjoy making these snacks for her. I want to encourage healthy eating choices and this helps. I also enjoy the creative expression. These are treats. My daughter certainly doesn’t expect her food to be cut into animal shapes regularly. Some kids get sugary treats. Some children get junk food “treats.” Because of ideas like these, my 4 yo daughter gets excited when I serve her broccoli
“trees.” That’s her treat and I find it well worth the effort.