Snack Ideas Your Toddler Can Help With
With another lockdown happening in Oakville kids are back at home, asking for snacks. If your kids seem to be relentless about asking for snacks, we have gathered some ideas to make it easier for them to prepare snacks for themselves. Giving children the tools they need and having them help you prepare their snacks sets them up to be independent for the long run.
Today we at Kinder Buddies go over the easiest ways to get your child involved with preparing their snacks. Curious about our snack schedule? Check out our Chefs Kitchen for a sample menu!
Make Snack Time Accessible to Littles: Snack Station
If you have the space it makes sense to set up a small table, chair, and tools made just for your little one. At the start of the day you can make sure there are basic snacks pre-portioned out in a small basket:
- Crackers
- Cereal
- Dried Fruit
- Granola Bars
Make sure you have removed the packaging and put the snacks in an accessible washable/reusable container. You will know what your little one is capable of in terms of opening containers.
For drinks, you can even set up a small plastic drink dispenser for water. It will take time for your little one to master on their own, and some spills, but they will love the independence once they master the task!
Make Sure the Snack Station has all the Tools
Other than having prepared snacks, you may want to help your little one learn how to prepare healthy fresh snacks. Fruits and cheese are something small children can learn to prepare for themselves with lots of practice. We love this list of the best kitchen tools for your kids: 9 Best Kitchen Tools for Children on Forbes.
Here are the best tools to have:
- Crinkle Cutter (beginner)
- Blunt Spreading Knife (For spreading butters and jams)
- Cookie Cutters
- Nylon Knife (Once they have mastered the Crinkle Cutter)
- Small Cutting Board
- Small Whisk or hand mixer
- Measuring Cups/Spoons (Colour Coded)
- Mixing Bowls
- Kitchen Sponge
- Kitchen Cloth (For Clean Up)
Preparing Fruit/Veggies with Toddlers
Fresh fruit and veggies are some of the best snacks for kids but can have a bit more prep than a granola bar. The good news is the ingrediants are easy and not very messy (fruit/veggies+water). Fruits and veggies are the perfect snacks to practice cutting skills.
Cleaning Fruit/Veggies
Help your toddler fill one of their mixing bowls with water. With the water bowl on their table, show your child how to wash their fruit or vegetables. Then have a kitchen towel nearby for drying.
If the item they are preparing needs to be peeled you may want to prepare that for your little one before moving to cutting.
Cutting Fruit/Veggies
The idea of letting your toddler anywhere near anything sharp is scary for good reason! That’s why we love the Crinkle Cutter for toddlers. Crinkle Cutters aren’t sharp and allow your child to cut while keeping both hands on the plastic handle, nowhere close to the action.
You can start using the crinkle cutter on softer snacks like boiled eggs, peeled bananas, berries, and cheese.
Once your child has mastered the crinkle cutter, usually around 2 years, your child may be ready for a nylon knife. Make sure the knife is made for children, it will be a certain size for little hands and not AS sharp. For the best tips on getting started with knife skills for littles we love this blog from Happy Kids Kitchen: Teaching Knife Skills to Toddlers Safety and Basics
Baking with Toddlers
There are lots of simple recipes that toddlers can put the ingredients together. Once prepped an adult will be needed to cook either on the stove or the oven.
- Pancakes: Get a pancake mix that only requires water!
- Cupcake Mix: Some store bought cake mixes only need eggs, water, and vegetable oil
- Premade Cookie Dough: Toddlers can have fun using Cookie Cutters
With their own mixing bowls and measuring cups kids can help measure out all the dry and wet ingredients with only a little help. Colour-coded measuring cups can be easier for kids to understand sizing.
Benefits of Bringing Kids to the Kitchen
At the end of the day, the more involved your child is in the kitchen, the more independent they can become. Picky eaters can get more hands-on with their food and understand what goes into what they eat. Cooking helps kids practice their small motor skills along with a science and math component for measuring and cooking!
It’s important to take things slow, lots of mistakes will happen but practice makes perfect. And if not the perfect snack you’re making great memories with your little one!
Kinder Buddies Oakville Child Care is a Quality First Daycare and Infant Care facility in Oakville, Ontario. We take care of children from the age of 6 weeks to 5 1/2 providing nutritious meals and fun activities all day long.
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