Okay, Mom and Dad, here are some fun ways to get your kids to eat, although you will have to lift the rule about playing with food, at least temporarily.
Sunny Snack
Place a pancake or waffle in the center of each child’s plate. Give your children blueberries to make eyes and a nose for the face. Use thin slices of cantaloupe for the smile. Slice strawberries and surround the outside edge of the pancake or waffle with the slices, all the way around the plate. Make sure the wide end is near the pancake or waffle and the point is toward the outside edge of the plate. The result looks like a smiling sun and the best part is it’s a tasty treat that’s full of good things.
Kibble Kitty
Place two poached eggs on the top half of the plate, next to each other. These are the kitty’s eyes. Cut a piece of toast into four quarters and give your child two of them to arrange at the top of the plate to look like pointy little kitty ears. Let him or her use another piece for the nose, with the point facing down. Bacon (or turkey bacon) strips make great whiskers, and your little one can use sausage links for the mouth. This meal brings a new dimension to “cat food.”
Shaped Up Sandwiches
Remove the crust from enough bread slices to make a sandwich or two for each child. Soft fillings like peanut butter, jelly, cheese, or tuna are easier to work with for this project than lunchmeats. Give each child a cookie cutter and let him or her cut each sandwich into fun shapes. Simple shapes like hearts or stars work best.
Sail Boat Sandwiches
Remove crusts from bread and make sandwiches. You can use any filling you like for this project. Cut the sandwiches in quarters. Give each child four small pretzel sticks. Cut American cheese slices into quarters, making two slits in each one so the “sail” can be slipped over the mast (the pretzel). Help your child stick each pretzel into a piece of sandwich and you have sailboats. Serve with goldfish crackers.
These projects are fun to make and fun to eat!