My kids love to have a snack break when playing outside. At our house we are pretty routine about food. Daycare got us into this habit and now it works to our favor. One morning snack around 10:00 before lunch and one afternoon snack around 3:00/4:00 before dinner. Otherwise, the kitchen is CLOSED.
I have been looking and looking and looking for a fun way to serve their snacks. I always heard and read that you should actually feed toddlers out of an ice cube tray. Put some tiny foods in each cube and let them just graze whenever they want – all day. Well, I adapted that.
My kids now LOVE a “buffet” snack set-up. AND they tend to try everything and finish things that they usually wouldn’t try if it was on their plates for a meal. Strange, but true.
While at Walmart the other night, I came across this PLASTIC blue tray. Looks like it is made for veggies or chips with dip. I saw it as PERFECT for my snack time. And the best part??? It was ONE DOLLAR. And it came in 4 or 5 different colors. So if you need one, or now you just want one, head to Walmart and they were stocked right up front with the spring/outdoor/picnic supplies.
Funny, how if you just set out a tray of different foods with no “meal-time parameters”, the kids LOVE it!
This is a fabulous idea! I’m going to try it with my preschooler!! I might even copy your snack selections pictured. My daugher likes string cheese, chips (I need to try those veggie chips), and crackers. She will eat apple slices if I buy those Disney Princess packeded one you can find for $4 at Walmart. WAY over priced for apples, but I figured it’s worth it if she’ll eat them!