As I looked over my classroom events calendar, I realized that February is National Snack Month. Yummy! Who doesn't love snacks? When thinking about snack time, I realized that sometimes we do not provide our children with proper snacks. Growing up, my snack could be anything from cupcakes to Doritos, sometimes some fresh fruit; but most of the time, snack time was something "Oh so sweet"! Hopefully, we have evolved from that mentality, but I'm aware that many of us have not.
So, what is appropriate for snacking? I have a great option for you to give your kids that will be exciting, as well as yummy. A great idea for snack time is to let your children be creative with healthy foods. I had a friend a few years ago that introduced me to the fun you can have with different kinds of healthy food. We made bugs and beetles out of an assortment of crackers, olives, cheese, pretzels, sliced eggs, crispy noodles, bits of carrots and other veggies, fruit slices, and a little cheese spread or peanut butter. The kids loved this activity and enjoyed a healthy snack in the process. The fun of creating their own snack creature made them more excited about eating something that was healthy. You can create funny faces, bugs, or anything your heart desires. Use this activity to teach your children about healthy choices and to encourage creativity. This is an excellent nurturing time as well for the whole family!
The most important thing to remember about snacking is to KEEP IT HEALTHY! A treat once in a while is fine, but make sure that your child doesn't get caught up in an unhealthy snack pattern. Developing good habits early on will benefit your child throughout his or her life.
