It's okay to get messy!!
Contrary to what my mom might think, it is okay to get messy :) I encourage my kids to dig in the dirt, fingerprint, go puddle jumping in their rain boots, roll around in the grass, hide their feet in the sand, and pick up bugs. I also want them to have fun with food. A great way to start a passion for food and cooking when they are young is to let them play with their food. Below are some ideas and ways that kids can actually play with food. Parents, don't be afraid to play with them. They love watching you get just as messy as them and it will be memories that you will all remember forever.
1. Rainbow spaghetti- cook your spaghetti just like normal and then drain and toss in canola oil. Separate your spaghetti into different bowls and top with drops of food coloring. Toss with tongs to prevent the food coloring from staining your hands. Make sure it is evenly coated before passing off to your kids. Provide them with tools to use while they play. My kiddos love using tongs, bowls, forks, funnels, and chopsticks to play. This activity is great for babies all the way up through preschoolers. The best thing about using food for play is that you don't have to worry about anything being dangerous for baby to eat. I think my daughter ate more noodles than she played with the first time we did this and that is okay!
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2. Painting Toast- This is one of my favorite childhood memories from preschool. I had a babysitter that always did such fun activities with us. I remember getting to paint toast on several occasions. I did this with my two children for St. Patrick's Day this past year. We made rainbows on our toast to celebrate the holiday! Once again, super easy and uses ingredients that you probably keep in your pantry at all times.
Use small plastic bowls to mix a 1/2 c. milk with a couple drops of food coloring. Mix together and then give your children a piece of bread and a paint brush. Allow the kids to spend as much time as they want painting their toast and then place in the toaster. This is just another edible snack that involves the kids, is fun, and is safe for little ones to eat while playing.
HINT: Placing big puddles of food coloring/milk mixture on bread is going to make it harder for their toast to crisp in the toaster. Model how to use their paint brush to spread across the top of their bread so that they don't end up with a soggy, mushy snack.
Use small plastic bowls to mix a 1/2 c. milk with a couple drops of food coloring. Mix together and then give your children a piece of bread and a paint brush. Allow the kids to spend as much time as they want painting their toast and then place in the toaster. This is just another edible snack that involves the kids, is fun, and is safe for little ones to eat while playing.
HINT: Placing big puddles of food coloring/milk mixture on bread is going to make it harder for their toast to crisp in the toaster. Model how to use their paint brush to spread across the top of their bread so that they don't end up with a soggy, mushy snack.
3. Painting with yogurt- This takes absolutely no special ingredients or planning ahead. It is fun if you use plain yogurt and then color it so they have different color choices to paint. This is messy so strip them down to their diapers. We liked doing it outside because then they could go wild and I didn't have to hyperventilate about how long it was going to take me to clean up.