Strawberry Shortcake Birthday Party Ideas

March 8, 2013 By

Lori from our Facebook page has a birthday party coming up.  Her little girl loves both Hello Kitty and Strawberry shortcake.  She asked for some ideas for either of those themes.  Perhaps seeing some inspiration will help her make that decision . . . or maybe she’ll decide to combine them!

These ideas are a mix of my own and other party planners far more talented than me!  Let’s start with Strawberry Shortcake for today.

Strawberry Shortcake Party Ideas

Strawberry Shortcake Fruit Platter

Strawberry Shortcake Party Fruit Platter from creativekidsnacks.com

Place two small bowls of balled watermelon along with one small container of green grapes in the top section of a platter for Strawberry’s hat.  Garnish the top of the hat with a strawberry.  Next, place a bowl of fruit dip below the hat for her face.  To make Strawberry’s face, I used two blueberries as eyes, a strawberry for her mouth, a few strawberry leaves (you could also use mint) for her eyelashes, and several mini chocolate chips for her freckles.  Finish by filling in the space around the face with whole strawberries as hair.  This is sure to be a hit!

Individual Strawberry Shortcake Cups

Strawberry Shortcake Cups from creativekidsnacks.com

Another healthy option for the party is to serve little cups of Greek yogurt (you could use vanilla or control the sugar content a bit more by swirling your own honey into plain Greek yogurt), then topping with chopped strawberries along with a few graham crackers for dipping.  Greek yogurt will be a nice little source of protein for the kids to eat in the midst of the rest of the party food.

More Strawberry Shortcake Ideas

Mini Strawberry Shortcakes for Strawberry Shortcake party

Make these mini strawberry shortcake poppers from Snappy Gourmet

Strawberry Themed Party by Wonderfully Made Events

Serve these gorgeous white chocolate dipped strawberries and dipped oreos from Wonderfully Made Events.

Strawberry Lemonade drinks for Strawberry Party by Wonderfully Made Events

Serve a refreshing strawberry lemonade along with water bottles covered with adorable printable wrappers; by Wonderfully Made Events.

Adorable Strawberry Shortcakes from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons

You can also have the kids make their own Strawberry Shortcakes.  Jill from Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons has a super easy and adorable recipe.

Strawberry Shaped Cake Pops from Wonderfully Made Events

Don’t these strawberry shaped cake pops by Wonderfully Made Events look fabulous?

Strawberry Party by wonderfullymadeevents.com

Use bright pink, red, and green decorations to create a festive look for your (sure-to-be) amazing Strawberry Shortcake Party.

(Sharing HERE)

Did you enjoy today’s snack?  Learn more about this blog here.

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Butterfly

March 4, 2013 By

When Spring starts to peek around the corner after Winter finally ends, it’s fun to embrace the feeling of new life, warmth, brightness, and outdoor fun.  Nothing says new life to me like a butterfly!  The butterfly snack we have for you today is refreshing, super healthy, and beautiful for the kids to enjoy.

Butterfly Snack made of fruit from creativekidsnacks.com

Ingredients:

1 piece string cheese.  (You can also use just half of one, sliced lengthwise).

8-10 green grapes, sliced in half

3 strawberries

1 baby carrot

Directions:

To make this guy, simply place a piece of string cheese in the center of the plate.  Next, slice your green grapes in half and lie them on the plate as the outline of the butterfly’s two wings.  Slice strawberries and fill in the outline formed by the grapes.  Next, slice two round slices from the end of a baby carrot.  Slice two thin sticks, and slice a tiny bit off each stick.  Arrange antennae as shown, place two tiny carrot bits on the string cheese for eyes.  Enjoy!

Continue the Fun with a “READ.PLAY.EAT” activity

READ.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle is such a classic story book!  Just like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is an Eric Carle staple I’ll bet most of us have in our bookshelves (if not memorized) and read often.  I know it’s been a favorite for my girls.

The story is told of a caterpillar that hatches from an egg, grows, and eats and eats and eats until he is so full that he becomes big and fat.  He builds his cocoon, stays inside for more than two weeks, and becomes a beautiful butterfly.  It’s the classic metamorphosis story.

 

PLAY.

Create a “beautiful butterfly” with your child that they can play with over and over again.  Follow the simple steps shown below:

Butterfly Craft

My girls love to make these, and they only take about 5 minutes.  I love them because they aren’t messy, and they don’t involve too much skill on the parent’s part!  We have quite a collection, and my oldest daughter Grace plays with hers often.  She loves to hold the butterfly by the stick and swing him around to flap his wings.

It is also fun to make each one unique and different.  One thing we have done is make a butterfly for everyone in the family.  The kids have fun deciding which colors, patterns, and designs best reflect each person.  So fun!

 

EAT.

Make a healthy caterpillar for lunch!

Very Hungry Caterpillar: Creative Kid Snacks

Take a large strawberry and slice to create his head.  Next, create his eyes by using little bits of pineapple cut into circles and place sliced green jelly belly candies in front.  Form his body with green grapes , carrot feet, raisin mouth, and ham antennae.  He is walking on an oatmeal ground and taking in the cheddar cheese sun!

If you enjoyed this, check out our other animal snacks, as well as our nature themed snacks.  The kids will love them!  I know mine did!

(Sharing HERE)

Did you enjoy today’s snack?  Learn more about this blog here.

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Hello Kitty Lunch

February 20, 2013 By

Hello Kitty is a beloved character that I used to watch when I was a young girl, and who has now made a comeback.  My four year old daughter carries a bright pink Hello Kitty backpack to school with her every day.

With Hello Kitty‘s recent surge of popularity, we had a request by a Facebook friend to share some Hello Kitty inspired food.

Hello Kitty Lunch

Hello Kitty Lunch

Ingredients: 1 half bagel, 2 T whipped cream cheese, 2 blueberries, 1 slice banana, 6 thin slices apple, 1 strawberry, and 1 raspberry.

To create this easy and cute Hello Kitty, I used a half bagel spread with a thin layer of whipped cream cheese.  I cut a small section from the top to create her ears.  Next I added two blueberry eyes, a small banana nose, and thinly sliced apple whiskers.  For her bow, I sliced one strawberry in half for the two sides of the bow, and used a raspberry for the center.

That’s it.  A delicious and fun lunch with a great variety of wonderful fruit.

Here is another Hello Kitty Lunch we’ve created in the past.

hello kitty lunch

See the blog post about this Hello Kitty here.

And coming up soon I have a Hello Kitty Breakfast!  WooHoo!

(Sharing HERE)

Did you enjoy today’s snack?  Learn more about this blog here.

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Heart Warming Oatmeal

February 5, 2013 By

Do your kids love oatmeal as much as mine do?  Fresh berry oatmeal or oatmeal with fruit preserves is even better, right?  Make a Valentines Day breakfast for your kids that they will love to eat!

Oatmeal is one of the best breakfasts for kids.  It keeps them full and has more protein than other grain-based breakfasts.  It’s something to feel good about feeding the kids.  What’s better, if you top it with some organic berry preserves (such as Costco brand), the kids will love you forever!

Heart Oatmeal 1

Step 1: Prepare Oatmeal and Strawberries

Cook oatmeal as directed and place into a bowl.

To create heart strawberries, slice strawberries in half from top to bottom so they lay flat.  Then, carefully slice a small “V” into the top center to look like a heart.  Use the little fruit hearts as a garnish to your dish.

Step 2: Create Jam Heart

Heart Oatmeal 2

Place several tablespoons of berry preserves into a microwavable container – preferably one from which you can pour later!  Microwave for 30 seconds.

Next, use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to help you make your heart.  Press the cookie cutter slightly into the oatmeal, then pour in your warm preserves, filling the shape.

Step 3: Remove cookie cutter and serve

Heart Oatmeal 3

Carefully pull your cookie cutter straight up from the oatmeal – leaving your beautiful heart-shaped jam in the center.

Congratulations!  You have now created a Valentines day breakfast full of flavor that the kids will love!

Take a look at our other Valetine’s Day Snacks

Valentines Day Pancakes

I love you yogurt breakfast

Guess How Much I Love You? Snack

Valentines Day Apples

 

P.S. – Also check out Super Healthy Kids’ Valentines Day Oatmeal for another great idea!

(Sharing HERE)

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Valentines Day Pancakes

February 3, 2013 By

Valentines Day is almost here!  How about a sweet little breakfast for your Valentine?  Make these easy Valentines Day Pancakes!

valentines day pancakes 2

To create this little plate, simply prepare two medium or one large pancake on your skillet.  Next, take your heart shaped cookie cutter and cut out as many little hearts as desired.

Next, give the hearts a little personality, which is what we do on Creative Kid Snacks!  I used chocolate chips for their eyes, and a small slice of a strawberry for their mouths.  How sweet!

As a finishing touch, I added little whipped cream polka dots around the plate for a little something special for my little Valentines.

Valentines day pancakes 1

Enjoy!  (Sharing HERE)

Check out our other Valentines Day Food.

 

Guess How Much I Love You? Snack

 

Valentines Day Apples

 

I love you yogurt breakfast

 

 

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Guess How Much I Love You?

January 30, 2013 By

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney is one of my girls’ favorite books.  With a simple message about the great measure of the father and son bunny’s love for one another, it is a perfect Valentines Day read.  The story ends with the father bunny saying to the baby bunny, “I love you to the moon and back”.

Take a few minutes and read the story while snuggling with your child, then make this lunch.

howmuchlove 3

To make the rabbits, I used some turkey folded up into small squares for their faces.  I added ears using raw almonds, and used chocolate sprinkles (I know, I was lazy) for the eyes.

Next, I sliced several strawberries in half and cut a small “v” out of the center to look like a heart.  I laid them on the plate to look like they were ascending and descending from the moon.

I sliced a banana into a small crescent shape to use for the moon, and finally used some greek yogurt to create the stars, the arrow going to the moon and back, and the bottom portion of the bunnies’ faces.

Below is the super easy technique I used.

Scissor Method

I love using yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, for decorating a plate and creating a great design that would be hard to do using just food.

howmuchiloveyou 2

Of course, you can make this same snack out of anything you wish!  If you have a bunny shaped cookie cutter, you could easily make the two rabbits out of a sandwich.  You could also make the arrows using thin strips of banana if you don’t want to use the yogurt.  The moon could be made out of pineapple, cheese, or a yellow pepper.

Use your imagination!

HowmuchIloveyou 1

Check out our other Valentines Day and Love inspired snacks!  You’ll LOVE them . . .  I promise!

Valentines Day Apples

I love you breakfast

(Sharing HERE)

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Santa Party Poppers

December 7, 2012 By

Meet our cute little Santa Party Popper.

I’ve taken to calling anything on a short stick a “popper” because you can pop it into your mouth and enjoy in one or two bites.

These guys are a dessert for the kids to help make after dinner one night or in preparation for a little party.
*Note:  Santa Party Poppers should be assembled within an hour of when you plan to serve them, because the bananas will brown being out in the air too long.
To make 10 Santa Poppers you will need:
10 regular sized marshmallows (not minis)
2 additional regular sized marshmallows cut into eights (for puff on Santa’s hat)
10 one inch tall banana chunks
10 red mini M&Ms
1/2 cup chocolate chips (for melting)
10 strawberries cut to appropriate size for a hat

 

Before assembly, slice each full sized marshmallow in half lengthwise.  You will need 2 halves per Santa.
To assemble, slide the small marshmallow bit (from those cut into eights) to the top of a decorative toothpick.  Next, slide the strawberry (flat side down), one half marshmallow, the banana, and lastly the other half marshmallow.

Make sure you slice your banana into chunks evenly and straight to ensure that they do not lean or tip over once assembled.

Tip:  Sliding the bottom marshmallow on with the sticky side down will allow it to stand up better on the serving plate because it will stick!
Next, melt your half cup of chocolate chips in the microwave.  I melted mine for a total of 45-50 seconds on high, stopping to stir every 20 seconds.
Once melted, spoon chocolate into a Ziploc bag and snip a TINY triangle off one of the corners.  You will pipe the chocolate out through this hole.
Pipe two eyes and dot for his nose on every Santa.  I placed the nose dot right above the bottom marshmallow.
Place a red M&M on each chocolate dot and press to stick down for Santa’s nose.
Once this step is complete, refrigerate for 10 minutes and serve (see *note above)
The kids will love this dessert, and you can feel good knowing it is mostly fruit.  The only refined sugar they will be getting is the equivalent of 1 1/8 marshmallow and a tiny bit of chocolate.

(Linking up HERE)

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Grinch Party Poppers

December 4, 2012 By

The Grinch is one of Dr. Suess’ most beloved characters, and at Christmas we love to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.
Just like we love to make Christmas trees, wreathes, snowmen, Santa, and reindeer for snacks this time of the year, we also love Mr. Grinch.

Today’s snack is a perfect finger food to put out for the kids at a Christmas party.
These would also be perfect for a Christmastime sleepover, featuring popcorn, the Grinch movie, and these scrumptious little poppers.
Healthy, cute, and super fun, you know these little guys will be a hit.
Here’s how to make them.

Step 1: Collect your ingredients and assemble Grinches

 
(Depending on how many Grinch poppers you would like to make, you will need that many of the following):
 
-slice of white string cheese (at least 1/3 inch thick)
-strawberry
-banana slice (at least 1/3 inch thick)
-green grape (with bottom sliced off so it lays flat)
-melted chocolate. (1/2 of a Hershey’s bar, broken into pieces and microwaved until melted, stirring at 20 second intervals will be plenty to make up to 25 poppers)
 
Assemble each Grinch by sliding each piece up a plastic toothpick.  I get mine from the dollar store.  They come in a package of assorted colors with little hearts on the top.  They are the perfect size, and not too sharp for the kids to eat off of.
 

 Step 2: Melt Chocolate

 
 Depending on how many poppers you are making, melt the appropriate amount of chocolate.  I used a simple Hershey bar in this recipe.

1/2 of a Hershey’s bar, broken into pieces and microwaved until melted, stirring at 20 second intervals will be plenty to make up to 25 poppers.

  Step 3: Pipe Grinch faces

Place your melted chocolate into a piping bag with a very small tip attachment; 
or do it the easy way by using a ziploc bag with a tiny snip off of one corner to pipe your faces.
Make 2 eyes with frowning eyebrows above them.  Next, make a wide smile with bumps and a little point at the bottom middle.

Step 4:  Chill, serve, and enjoy!

 
Chill in the refridgerator for at least 15 minutes.
 

 My little girls LOVED these guys.  I made about 10 of them for today’s post, and they had to be cut off after 4 each!  (They still hadn’t had their lunch yet)!
 
TIP: Pipe Grinch faces onto grapes and chill in advance if you want to work ahead and prevent the rest of the ingredients from being out in the air too long.
 
(Sharing HERE)
 
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Healthy Christmas Snacks for the Kids

November 26, 2012 By

Looking for some healthy snacks to serve this Christmas?

Get the kids into the Christmas season with these fun snacks and lunches!

#1:  Veggie Christmas Tree

Use cut celery arrange on an angle to create the shape of the tree.  Slice a baby carrot into wheels for the ornaments.  Cut a yellow pepper into the shape of a star for the top of the tree.
Create the trunk by rolling a slice of deli ham into a one inch wide roll-up and folding it in half.  Slice the bottom off to create a straight line if you wish.
My favorite part of this snack are the snowflakes.  I created them by slicing some string cheese into wheels, then carefully slicing little triangles out of them (from the outside in).
Serve with a little ranch for dipping, and enjoy!
(My kids ate this whole snack up!  So much good fiber and protein!)
Variations:
Use cucumbers for the tree (sliced in “sticks”)
Use a carrot or two for the trunk and cherry tomatoes for the ornaments
Use yogurt for the snowflakes

#2: Santa Panini Sandwich

I made this snack by first making a turkey and cheese panini sandwich on our Cuisinart Panini grill.

After placing it on the plate, I spooned some cottage cheese around the bottom of the plate and left a little gap where Santa’s mouth would be. Note: the sandwich is placed with the rounded side of the bread down.

Next, I created his hat and nose with some strawberries.  Finish the look of the hat with a little whipped cream and finish with some raisin eyes.

This one was a favorite!

#3: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

I made Rudolph out of a peanut butter sandwich.  Leave the round (top) part of the bread in tact, then slice into an oval for the main part of the body as shown.

From the remaining portion, slice four thin legs and a head.  Think of cutting the shape of a shoe for the head.  Add a raisin eye, a strawberry nose, and two pretzel antlers.

A little pine tree made of sugar snap peas completes the look of Rudolph’s flight through the air!

#4: Cottage Cheese Snowman

Meet one of the first creative snacks ever created.

Our sweet snowman has a cottage cheese body , raisin eyes and buttons, 1/2 a baby carrot for a nose, and celery sticks for arms.

Scoop the cottage cheese onto the plate with a small spoon into three circles.  Slice your baby carrot in half and add for his nose.  Place his eyes and buttons on, and finish with arms.  Done!

You can’t get much healthier than this for a festive winter snack!

Variations:
Use pretzels for his arms to look more like sticks
Use yogurt for his body
Use blueberries for his buttons

#5: Holiday Wreath

My daughter Grace asked for a wreath for lunch.  I decided to go with celery for the greenery as opposed to lettuce or cucumbers, which, depending upon your child’s taste buds, you could definitely use.  My girls love celery, so I went with that.

Next I added carrots and grapes sliced up for the “berries” of the wreath.  You could use cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, or even strawberries here, but I used what I had on hand.

The bow was made out of a slice of ham.  I cut one full slice from the deli into quarters, and rolled each up as big as I wanted it to be for the parts of the bow.

Once all that was done, I snapped the photo.

Before I served it, though, I had the idea to add some background “snow”!

This is how I served it, and, as usual, it was gobbled up!

Which version do you like better?  I really can’t decide.  This second one is definitely more filling for lunch, though, and the girls do love their cottage cheese.   So for that reason alone, I know my kids would vote version 2!

(Linking up HERE)

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Lion King Lunch

October 15, 2012 By
“The Lion King” is one of my personal favorite Disney movies of all time.  We just got a copy for Christmas and the songs “Circle of Life” and “Can you feel the love tonight” are stuck in my head for hours every time we watch it!  Simba and Mufasa are the heroes of the story, so today are creating a lion lunch in their honor.
Create grown-up Simba or Mufasa with some rotini pasta with marinara sauce for the mane, a slice of colby jack cheese for his face, and, strawberries cut in a triangle for his nose and two thin strips for his mouth area!  Add two raisins for his eyes, and you are done.
Serve with some grapes on the side, and enjoy!
Check out our other Disney inspired lunches: Mickey, Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc., Up, and Winnie the Pooh

(Linking up HERE)

 

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