Children need to have a healthy relationship with their food. Even if it means that occasionally, they get to play with it!
If you have a picky eater in your home, look through this list with them and see if any of these fun food activities for kids catch their eye.
#1 Ice Cream In A Bag
It’s no secret, kids love eating ice cream! What if you told them that they could make their own ice cream at home? I’m fairly certain they wouldn’t say no to that offer!
If you are one of the 90% of American households that consume ice cream, consider giving this activity a try!
You only need five ingredients, two bags, and a whole lot of joy to make this homemade ice cream recipe come to life.
This sweet treat only takes five minutes of your time and energy and can be enjoyed by your whole family!
#2 Under The Sea Graham Crackers
Can you imagine your child’s delight when you tell them that they will be making Under The Sea Graham Crackers? I know my kids would start jumping off the walls with delight!
The best part of this activity is your children can use their imaginations and truly do no wrong when it comes to decorating their graham crackers.
This activity results in an amazingly creative product, so keep your phone handy to take pictures of their finished masterpieces before they’re consumed.
#3 Edible Slime
There is something so satisfying about smooshing your fingers into a slimy, mushy pile of goop!
Can you imagine if that pile of slime was actually edible?
This recipe for edible slime is very simple, and your kids will have no trouble following your lead as they assist you in mixing up their new afternoon activity.
Keep in mind that the dye in the jello may stain hands or surfaces. Have your kids play with their edible slime on a cookie sheet and use this helpful tip to remove dye off your child’s hands.
#4 Edible Marshmallow Paint
Finger painting with paint made from marshmallows? Yes, please!
Have your kids choose which color food gel to add to each bowl of the melted marshmallow mixture and let them help you stir it together.
If you aren’t feeling too keen on saving sugar-coated pieces of paper, have your kids paint on a cookie sheet, hard plastic plate, or any flat surface that can be easily washed off.
This quick and easy recipe will have your children licking paint off their fingers in no time.
#5 Apple Fruit Donuts
If you have a child that is hesitant to eat fruits, give this creative snack a try.
This is one of my favorite food activities for kids! It combines apples, which are a great way to get fruit into your child’s diet, and cream cheese, which is a good source of vitamin A.
Your child will have the opportunity to put the ingredients together in whatever festive and imaginative way they can think of.
Make sure to have some sprinkles or other colorful edible decorations for your kids to put on top of their snack.
The best part? The end product ends up looking like delectable donuts!
#6 Cookie Fossils
Have you been looking for a reason to break out that tube of sugar cookie dough?
Have the kids go running to find some small animal figures such as dinosaurs, fish, reptiles, or anything they may like to see imprinted in their fossil cookies.
Pull your cookies out of the oven just before the amount of baking time has finished. They will be cooked through but still soft. Remove the cookies from the hot baking sheets to prevent burns.
This is when it gets exciting! Have your kids press their toys gently into the cookie and voila! You have created fossils!
#7 Oreo Crabs
This food activity makes me smile! The ingredients are so delicious on their own, I’m not sure how many crabs would actually be made in my house!
If you can keep your kids from devouring all the Oreos beforehand, give this crabby activity a whirl on the next rainy day.
Have your younger children assist you in mixing up the frosting and set your older kids up with scissors and instruct them how to cut the licorice into the correct length pieces.
To make this activity more interesting for older children, have them race to see who can make the most crabs in a set amount of time!
#8 Jello Fossil Dig
Grab your dinosaur-loving children and get them ready to go on the hunt of a lifetime!
Oh, and did I mention it’s edible?
All you need to do is whip up a jello recipe and drop your kid’s small dinosaur toys into the liquid jello.
Once the pan of jello has set, your kids can get to work digging out their dinosaur fossils with tools of your choice.
Pro tip: If you add less water then the box recommends, the jello will be stiffer and make it more of a challenge for your kids to pull those dinos out.
Remind them to not accidentally eat the dinosaurs themselves!
#9 Milk And Cereal Breakfast Popsicles
Prepare to make these delicious breakfast popsicles over and over again during the hot summer months.
You can pull these out of the freezer and send your kids out to play in the morning while you sip your coffee on the porch.
These popsicles offer a more filling and nutritious option than just a bowl of cereal and milk. This recipe uses a banana, greek yogurt, milk, and cereal to keep your child satisfied and full of energy.
Have your kids help you prepare this fun breakfast the night before. They can assist you in mixing the ingredients and choosing which cereal should be incorporated.
#10 Rainbow Grilled Cheese
If your kids are huge fans of the rainbow, this vibrant lunch idea is sure to make them giggle with delight.
Have your kids help you choose which colors to dye the cheese. There is no limit to how many different colors you add to your sandwich.
This is also a great time to learn about mixing colors if they are hoping for purple cheese and all you have are the primary colors.
Don’t forget to snap a photo of them biting into their gooey and cheesy rainbow!
#11 Teddy Bear Toast
I’m not sure I’ve ever met a breakfast more adorable than Teddy Bear Toast!
Your kids are going to enjoy helping you create fun faces for their bears!
Make sure you have your family’s favorite nut butter on hand and a banana or a variety of fruits to make the face.
If your children aren’t huge on eating fruit, you can switch to a more nutritious bread and still use nut butter and mini chocolate chips for the facial features.
#12 Unicorn Popcorn
Do your kids love rainbows, sparkles, and all things glitter? Then making Unicorn Popcorn is a must!
Your children can assist you in creating this magical treat by choosing which colors to make the popcorn and adding in all the exciting ingredients such as sprinkles, pretzel bits, or marshmallows.
If you have boys in the family, you can divide the popcorn into two batches and let the guys decorate their popcorn in blue candy melts topped with black sprinkles and silver edible glitter.
Be prepared to have a variety of colorful and delectable toppings on hand so your kids will have no limit to their unicorn imaginations.
#13 Dirt cup
A necessary part of any childhood is consuming one of these tasty treats.
Making dirt cups is a great activity that most kids would love to partake in!
Have your pudding prepared in a large bowl and have your kids help you crush and smash up those chocolate cookies.
Hand them plastic cups and let them scoop in the pudding and cookie crumbs in any which way they please!
Gummy worms are a common dirt cup topper, but you can also find gummy dinosaurs or fish in the grocery store.
Set out some green sprinkles if you think your kids would appreciate the challenge to be more creative and sprinkle some ”grass” on top of their dirt.
#14 Kool-Aid Rock Candy
This activity requires a bit of patience but it is well worth the wait!
Your kids will enjoy helping you mix up the jars of kool-aid and roll their skewers in a plate of sugar crystals.
As the days pass, children will have the chance to peek in the jars and watch the rock candy form before their eyes.
Once two weeks are over, they will be ready to open their very own candy store!
#15 Homemade bird feeders
This may not be a food activity that kids can eat, but it is something that they can make and watch the birds enjoy!
This bird feeder project is full of simple steps that your children will be able to easily participate in.
Let them choose which cookie-cutter shapes to use and allow them to do all the mixing. They will be watching birds peck at their fun-shaped feeders in no time!
For added amusement, place the bird feeders outside in a location that is easily visible from the house window. Have you kids guess which bird feeder shape they will go after first!
Which Fun Food Activity Was Your Favorite?
I enjoyed putting this list together for you and hope you took away some great food activity ideas for your kids to enjoy!
Remember to include your children in each step of the activity prepping so they can gain the full benefit of learning and be able to thoroughly enjoy eating their creations!
Let us know what you thought by leaving us a comment, and if you liked this article, then share it with your friends!