Play with Your Food! 5 Fun Food Games for Chefs Under 5
Getting small children to eat healthy food isn’t hard when you make it fun! These five fun and healthy food games are designed for children ages 2-5. They’re ideal for parties and play-dates.
Fruit Rainbow
Each child will need:
- 1 medium-large paper plate
- A variety of fresh fruit, cleaned and cut, in purples, blues, greens, yellows, oranges and reds.
- Napkins for messy hands
- Plastic spoon
- Vanilla yogurt (optional)
Directions: Show children how to make a fruit rainbow on their plate while talking about all of the beautiful colors of fruit. You can then add “clouds” of vanilla yogurt at either end!
The Hokey Pokey Blueberry Smoothie Song!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups frozen blueberries
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 1 cup 100% orange juice
- 1 cup blueberry yogurt
- Tools: Blender
Directions: Form a circle with the kids around the blender and, as you sing the song (to the tune of Hokey Pokey, of course!), add each item to the blender. Do not allow small hands inside the blender. You are only pretending to take the ice cube and other ingredients out of the blender.
- You put your ice cubes in; you take your ice cubes out. You put your ice cubes in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around. That’s what it’s all about!
- You put your orange juice in; you take your orange juice out. You put your orange juice in and you shake it all about. You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around…
- You put your yogurt in; you take your yogurt out. You put your yogurt in…
- You put your blueberries in; you take your blueberries out…
That’s what it’s all about!
Funny Face Rice Cakes
Each child will need:
- Small paper plate
- Plastic knife
- Napkins
Ingredients
- 1 plain rice cake per child
- 1 large tub of whipped cream cheese or peanut butter
- Assorted washed and cut fruits: Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, bananas
Directions: Have children wash their hands with soap and water before eating. Distribute one rice cake per child. Show them how to spread the cream or peanut butter onto their rice cakes. Have them decorate the rice cake with fresh fruit in funny faces, flowers, and cool designs!
Creepy, Crawly Kiwis
Ingredients
- 1-2 kiwis per child
- Chow Mein noodles or pretzels (for legs)
- 1 tub whipped cream cheese
- Raisins or craisins for eyes
Directions: Demonstrate how to peel a kiwi (yes, even young children can do this with a veggie peeler or plastic knife!). Cut one end to form a flat surface so creepy, crawly kiwis stay upright. Cut raisins into small eyes and dip in cream cheese to “glue” on. Use noodles or pretzels for legs.
Easy-Squeezy Peanut Butter Apple Wraps
You’ll need
- Ziploc sandwich bags
- Plastic knives
- Small paper plates
- Plastic spoons
Ingredients
- 1 small banana
- 1 tbsp. peanut butter or SunButter
- ½ apple, cubed with skin on
- 1 8” whole grain tortilla
Directions: Show your kids how to peel their bananas. Have everyone break their bananas into bite sized pieces and place them in their Ziploc bags. Add 1 tbsp. peanut butter to each bag and close it, releasing the air. Have kids mash together the peanut butter and banana in the bags with their hands until well mixed. Then, cut a corner off of each plastic bag and have them squeeze the mixture onto the tortilla. Let them spread it with plastic knives until the mixture is even, to the edges. Have them scatter apple chunks on top, roll the tortilla into a log, cut it in half, and enjoy!
Healthy Hands Cooking is a movement to fight childhood obesity by certifying and empowering instructors to teach children and families about nutrition and healthy cooking. Our instructors are passionate moms, dads, teachers, nutrition grads, entrepreneurs, wellness advocates and more. www.healthyhandscooking.com