Holidays

Thanksgiving PB Apple Turkey

September 18, 2014 by Amy Hudson

Thanksgiving is coming up quickly. Holidays are such a fun time to make a creative, healthy snack for kids to celebrate the season. There are tons of amazing ideas out there for Thanksgiving food for kids, and today I’ll add one more to the mix.

Thanksgiving PB Apple Turkey

Ingredients

2 T creamy peanut butter

1 stick celery

1 small apple

1 almond

Directions

Place the peanut butter into a zip top baggie and snip a piece off of the corner of the bag. Pipe the peanut butter onto the plate as shown for the turkey’s body and legs. Slice an apple and arrange slices around the turkey’s body to look like feathers. Add some celery “grass” below the turkey by placing some cut up celery there. Finally, slice the two ends off of an almond and place into peanut butter for turkey’s eyes. Use remaining almond to slice a triangle shape and place beneath eyes to look like a beak.

Simple and fun. The best part is that the kids can dip the celery and apples into the peanut butter to eat. My girls cleaned their plate!

Alternative serving suggestions:

Almond butter in place of peanut butter

Raisins for eyes and beak

After you serve this guy to your kiddos as a snack, try this turkey for lunch. Your little turkeys will love it!

Read the preparation instructions for this lunch.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Fun Lunches to Teach Kids About Jesus

April 1, 2014 by Amy Hudson

Easter is coming, and I love the idea of combining meal time with teaching and learning time. Teaching Bible stories is especially important in our family, and, with Easter coming up, I thought I would put together a post featuring snacks designed to tell the story of Jesus. I plan on making these snacks for my kids during the month of April this year in order to serve as a time of remembering Jesus’ life and what He came to do on earth.

Note: Some may find it difficult to wrap their mind around the idea of portraying Bible stories with food. It may appear irreverent or give the impression that the stories of the scriptures are somehow being reduced to a plate of food. The reason I have prepared these little plates for my girls in the past is to celebrate the Bible. We love to talk about Bible stories and use lunch time as an opportunity to learn and re-read them. It is because I love my Lord Jesus that I include His story in the creative snack time. His story is the best of all, and these dishes are meant to celebrate it.

Click on each title or picture to read all about how to make each snack. I will share some ideas of what to do to expand on each story portrayed in each photo.

Jesus’ Birth

Read Jesus’ birth story in Luke 2
Sing “Away in a Manger”
Set up a nativity scene or act out the story as a family

Angels Announcing Baby Jesus is Born

Read the story in Luke 2 (verses 8-14)
Sing the song “Angels We Have Heard on High / Gloria”
Shine flashlights into a dark room and repeat what the angels sang ““Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The 3 wise Men

Read the story in Matthew 2: 1-12
Create pictures or 3-D models of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and learn about why the magi chose to bring those items here.
Have the kids pick out the offering they might bring if they were to go and visit the new king, baby Jesus.

5 Loaves and 2 Fishes

Read the story of Jesus performing this miracle in John 6.
Talk about how the disciples must have felt, what the miracle showed them about Jesus, and some of the things they think the crowds of people might have said as they watched this happen and ate the food.
Pray and thank God for showing us his supernatural power through miracles like this one.

Jesus on the Cross

Read the story in Luke 23
Talk about how Jesus felt as he carried his cross up Calvary’s hill to be crucified.
Remember the reason that Jesus chose to die (to make a way for our sins to be forgiven and allow us to be able to know and be friends with God and be with Him in heaven when we die). Pray a prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude for this incredible act of love Jesus performed for us.

The Empty Tomb Lunch

Read the story in Mark 16.
Talk about how Jesus’ resurrection proved that He was who He claimed to be.
Have the kids re-tell this story as if they were a guard. (The guards collapsed with fear when they saw the angels).

Resurrection Day Breakfast

Read the story (same as above)
Use the questions provided in the post on Resurrection Day Breakfast to talk through this story with the kids. (Very interesting questions!)
Sing an Easter song about Jesus being alive.

If you enjoyed these ideas, you may also like our Resurrection Eggs. These are 4, super-easy special eggs to make as a family when you are coloring Easter eggs. There are directions on how to make each of the 4 eggs, as well as how to teach the significance of each egg as it represents part of the Easter story. Check it out!

Also, check out our other cute Easter Snacks in this collection!

Resurrection Day Breakfast

March 21, 2014 by Amy Hudson

Today I have a little breakfast to celebrate the Easter story. Make a fun little breakfast to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead! An egg-in-toast is a great way to portray the empty tomb and this breakfast will be a great way to talk about this great story.

Ingredients:

1 slice of bread

1 egg

1 slice of cheese

1 T butter

Directions:

Heat a skillet. Use a cookie cutter or cup to cut a large circle in a slice of bread. Butter the bread and place onto skillet. Crack an egg into the skillet and let cook several minutes until bottom of egg is firm enough to flip. Flip bread and egg once to briefly cook the other side of the bread and egg, and then serve. The egg looks like the light shining out of the tomb, and sliced cheese strips look like more light coming from the tomb because Jesus has risen from the dead.

Read the Story

Matthew 28

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

²There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Talk About It

Some questions to ask the kids include:

What do you think the women said to themselves after they saw that the tomb was empty?

What do you think the other disciples thought when the women told them that Jesus was risen from the dead?

Why were the guards so afraid? How would you feel if you were a guard?

How do you think the disciples felt when they saw Jesus on after he had risen?

What does this story teach us about Jesus?

Pray a Prayer of Thanksgiving

This would be a great chance to thank God together for sending Jesus to die for us and for raising Him from the dead because of His great power. Thank Him for forgiving our sins through Jesus’ death on the cross, and thank God for this story. Jesus’ resurrection proves that He was who He said He was.

Act It Out

Have each child choose a character to be and act out this story. Characters could include the guards, angels, Jesus, women, or the disciples.

What other ideas do you have to teach kids about the Easter Story? Please share your comments and links below!

Also, check out our other cute Easter Snacks in this collection!

Frosty the Snowman and Friends

December 4, 2013 by Amy Hudson

My girls love the Frosty the Snowman movie. We have a DVD of the same version that was on TV all the way back in the 80’s when I was a kid. They love to sing the song, “Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul . . .” The other day I decided to make them a snack inspired by their favorite snowman. (Even though we’ve already made these snowman snacks last year, today’s snowman looks just like Frosty from the movie).

Frosty the Snowman

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 cup cottage cheese

1-2 baby carrots

1 slice of banana

1 dried blueberry (I buy the large bag available at Costco)

1 fresh blueberry

2 small slices celery

1 dried cranberry

Directions:

Use a small spoon to scoop the cottage cheese onto the center of the plate. Gently spread it out to make the largest part of Frosty’s body – his tummy. Next, spoon each leg on and gently slide cottage cheese into shape if needed. Follow the same process for his arms. Cottage cheese is great, because it naturally falls into the shape of fingers at the end of an arm. You won’t have to use your fine motor skills for this step! Slice one square piece of celery, along with one thin rectangular piece, and place atop Frosty’s head. Add a dried cranberry to look like a flower. Slice a small dried blueberry in half and place onto Frosty’s head for eyes. Slice your fresh blueberry in half, then slice a crescent shape out of one of the halves, and lay that flat onto Frosty’s face for his smile.

Slice a baby carrot in half lengthwise. Lay one above the other next to Frosty to look like his broomstick. Slice one banana wheel. Carefully take your knife and slice thin sections from the wheel. Place onto plate to be the bottom of the broom. To make Frosty’s pipe, slice a baby carrot in half lengthwise, then slice one of those halves again (lengthwise), so you have a flat rectangular piece of carrot to work with. Slice a pipe shape, aiming to get a thin rectangular piece with a squared piece at the end. Place the pipe right into Frosty’s smile, and he is complete and ready to delight your little ones!

Frosty’s Wife

After I made Frosty for my oldest, I decided to make him a little friend. She was easier and faster to make than even him. Meet Mrs. Frosty.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cottage cheese

2 fresh blueberries

1 red grape

1 dried blueberry

1 small section of celery

1 dried cranberry

1 baby carrot

Directions:

Use a spoon to scoop and carefully shape three cottage cheese circles onto the plate for Mrs. Snowman’s body. Next, thinly slice a section of celery and place onto plate for her arms. Slice a dried blueberry in half and place onto her head for eyes. Slice a dried cranberry in half width-wise and place beneath eyes for Mrs. Snowman’s mouth. Add two fresh blueberry buttons and a red grape bow. To make the bow, slice a red grape in half lengthwise, then slice a triangle out of each half and add a remaining sliver of grape for tie of hair bow. Complete her with a tiny sliver of a baby carrot (proportional to her face), and you are done!

Enjoy!

More Snowman Fun!

If you enjoyed these snowmen, check out our other snowman creations, (our snowman milk chugs are super easy and fun), along with the rest of our Winter and Christmas snacks!

(Linking up HERE)

Santa Hat Poppers

November 13, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Looking for cute Christmas Party Food? Today’s Santa Hat Poppers would be the perfect Christmas Party food for kids. Make these Santa Claus inspired party poppers for your next holiday party or put them out at your next playdate to get the kids excited for Christmas.

By the way, you’ll probably love these other cute Christmas Party food ideas for kids: Grinch Party Poppers, Santa Party Poppers, Popcorn Snowman Cups, Snowman Party Poppers

Santa Hat Poppers

Ingredients: (6 poppers)

10-15 oz block mozzarella cheese (sliced from a large block)

6 fresh strawberries

6 round crackers (Ritz, Toasteds, etc.)

Directions:

Using a large block of mozzarella cheese from the grocery store, slice 1/8- 1/4 inch slices of cheese. You want the slices to be large enough to be able to punch two hat bases (using 2 inch cookie cutter shown below) out of each slice.

Use a cookie cutter shaped like a flower or a circle (the one shown here is about 2″ wide), and punch out little bases for your Santa hats. A flower has a cute look once the hats are assembled because it looks like fluffy white fur.

Your bases are now ready!

Slice the stem off of your fresh strawberries. Try to use strawberries with a width that would allow you to see your cute little hat base and not cover it up entirely, or look too small on the base you made.

I punched one more “flower” or Santa Hat base out than I needed, and sliced the little round edges into semicircles for the tops of Santa’s Hat.

I love to use the little plastic toothpicks from the dollar store. They are not too sharp, and look adorable to hold these little guys together. Note: Make sure the top semicircle of cheese is thick enough to allow the toothpick to go through without the cheese falling apart. The block mozzarella cheese I used worked great and did not fall apart. I kept my semicircle cheese hat toppers to at least 1 cm thick.

Although the Santa Hats look great and are ready to eat by step 5, I would suggest placing a cracker beneath each one. The saltiness of the cracker tastes great with the cheese, and also the cracker makes for each pick-up from the plate. This part is optional, but that’s my recommendation.

Your Santa Hat Poppers are now complete and ready to put out at your Christmas party or play date! The kids will love them! Mine sure did!

Enjoy!

Make sure you also check out these fun Christmas Snacks and Lunches:

Grinch Party Poppers

Santa Party Poppers

Popcorn Snowman Cups

Snowman Party Poppers

3 Kings Lunch

Baby Jesus in the Manger

5 Healthy Christmas Snacks for Kids

Jingle Bells Lunch

(Sharing HERE)

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

Halloween Apples

October 25, 2013 by Amy Hudson

We are into leaves and colors, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and everything fall. The girls are looking forward to dressing up in their costumes (they are going to be flamenco dancers this year) and trick-or-treating. We don’t really get into the scary parts of Halloween because that’s just not our thing, (although we’ve made a spider web and friendly ghost snacks for this season), but we love to combine awesome foods available in autumn with the holiday spirit. Meet our Halloween apples!

These apples are a great treat for the kids. Apples are in full harvest in fall and taste great, and adding just a little bit of white chocolate (as opposed to the option of dousing an apple with caramel, then chocolate, then nuts, then sprinkles) makes this a fun and appropriately portion controlled option for kids.

Ingredients:

(to make 3-4 apples, or 6-8 apple halves to serve)3-4 apples (we used honeycrisp, but granny smith would taste awesome as well)6-8 oz white chocolate chips1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil (just a tiny bit)orange and green food coloring, as desired.

Directions:

Place white chocolate chips in a glass bowl in microwave along with oil. Heat 1 minute on full power, stirring at 20 second intervals with a plastic spatula. Avoid using any metal spoons or dishes when working with melted chocolate, as metal conducts heat and can raise the temperature of the chocolate too much, causing it to harden. Divide chocolate into two small bowls, and color one green and one orange (or desired colors).

We used a real piping bag and small round tip, but you can also use a zip baggie and snip a tiny corner off to use as a piping bag. Pipe your designs onto your apples. Allow the small kids to make their own while an adult or older child makes the jack-o-lantern faces, as desired.

Complete the look of your apple-o-lanterns by adding a green pipe cleaner cut in half then twisted to look like stems from a real pumpkin. We just placed them in the top of the apple, wrapped loosely around the existing stem.

The easiest way to enjoy these guys is to slice them not through the core but just outside of it so they maintain their shape. You can even make the apples this way in the first place as opposed to decorating them as whole apples standing up, and lying the apples flat on the plate will really allow you to decorate them in any way you wish!

Time to enjoy! One half slice was the perfect amount for this happy little girl!Did you like these Halloween Apples? Don’t miss our other Halloween snacks, as the other creative snacks we’ve made with apples:

Valentine’s Day Apples

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Apples

Shrek

(Sharing HERE)

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

Turkey

September 18, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Fall is in full swing, and soon it will be Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays – great food, family, gratitude, and, best of all, no present-buying frenzy! Build up anticipation for Thanksgiving with this fun and healthy lunch!

Turkey

Ingredients:

Turkey sandwich (fresh turkey breast, whole wheat bread, and mayo) / Substitute a peanut butter sandwich if desired!

Baby Carrots

1 cashew

1 raisin

1 cube pineapple

2 celery stalks

Directions:

Slice a turkey sandwich into a pear shape as shown above. Next, arrange baby carrots all around the body to look like tail feathers. You can also slice carrots in half lengthwise to control portion size or to allow them to lay flat on the plate. Slice a raisin in half and place onto sandwich for eyes. Place a cashew beneath the eyes to look like a beak. Slice a pineapple chunk into two thin strips, then slice two thin triangles and place beneath legs. Finish off the plate with celery “grass” where the turkey is happily frolicking!

Memorial Day Craft: Make Your Own (Edible) American Flag

May 26, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Memorial day is right around the corner. It’s a time to celebrate and remember those who gave their lives fighting for our country’s freedom. We are so fortunate to have all we do in this country, and taking a few minutes out to celebrate that is a good thing. Today we are celebrating our country with an edible craft: make your own American flag.

Make Your Own American Flag

First, gather the supplies (ingredients) necessary for the kids to use to build their flag.

Ingredients:

* Whole Wheat tortilla (substitute baked crescent rolls or even a piece of toast)

* Cream Cheese Mixture (see below)

* Cut up strawberries and blueberries (watermelon or raspberries may be substituted for strawberries).

* String Cheese (sliced into strips lengthwise)

How to make your own flag:

Slice whole wheat tortillas into a rectangle. The ones shown here are too large for a single serving for a child. Think about slicing it to the size of a piece of toast. (Remember, a piece of toast would also be an option if you don’t have tortillas).

Next, make the following cream cheese mixture (stolen from the classic “fruit pizza” recipe).

Cream Cheese Spread:

1/2 block cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 t vanilla

Combine using a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.

Spread this mixture atop your tortillas.

We pulled up a picture of the American flag and I asked the girls to describe it. What did they see? What were the patterns? How many stars did they guess were in the flag? Why?

Next, I asked them if they could create their own flag using the ingredients in front of them.

After about 5 minutes of work, this is what Grace did, (she is 5 years old):

And, with a LOT of help from me, this was Emma’s (hey, I needed a nice picture to show you, right?)

Once the flags were done, we pulled out our star sprinkles to complete the look:

So Fun!

What are you doing for memorial day?

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out our other holiday inspired snacks.

(Sharing HERE)

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

Easter Snacks + Weekly Kids Co-op

February 28, 2013 by Amy Hudson

Easter is coming! Easter has always been one of my favorite holidays to celebrate. How about some cute snacks for this special season?

I don’t think this bunny has ever been posted on Creative Kid Snacks, we made it over a year ago. This little guy has bananas for ears, a cottage cheese face, hard boiled egg slices for eyes, an almond nose, cheese whiskers, and raisin eyes. Cute and filling for the kiddos!

This little lamb is a perfect spring time, Eater-y alternative to the bunny. It’s a fresh and fun lunch. Check out how to make it here.

My daughter actually requested to have make a Jesus on the Cross plate on Good Friday. Although it may sound strange, it was a great way to remember and celebrate what Jesus has done for us. It was her way of honoring that special day, and, just like a pendant on a necklace or an illustration in the kids Bible, this is one more way this event is portrayed. See our post about it here.

This chick is another one that has not been posted on CKS. We made our chick out of cheesy pasta, added carrot feet and a beak, a raisin eye, and some fresh celery for grass. Easy, adorable, and delicious!

Tell the true story of the meaning of Easter with this snack – the Empty Tomb. Check out our post about it here.

I highly recommend making these four special eggs this year as you color your eggs. You can tell the whole story of Easter, and each egg has its own directions and explanation. Check out all the directions here.

(Sharing HERE)

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

And now it’s time for the Weekly Kids Co-op!

As moms, we are constantly on the lookout for great teaching tools and resources to use with our children. I know I always benefit from seeing the creativity of others as they share lessons, activities, crafts, food, and more in their various blogs. Mommy bloggers have become popular for a good reason: information is power. Right, ladies?

The Weekly Kids Co-op is one of my very favorite such resources. I have been linking my snacks to this link party for months now, and I am excited to be able to co-host it here at Creative Kid Snacks.

If you are a blogger, link up your kid related posts to share with all of us eager beaver mommas. If you are a mom, take some time to look through all of the great ideas for teaching and playing with our kids. Pin what you love. Like I said before, information is power!

This party will take place every Thursday at Creative Kid Snacks. You will find it hosted on several other blogs, but the days the party goes live will vary from blog to blog.

Get ready for all the great ideas! Link, share, and enjoy!

Resurrection Eggs

February 27, 2013 by Amy Hudson

The following post is something originally seen on my other blog, Sugar and Spice. I started it in 2011 and it is where I first blogged about the creative snacks I had started making for my daughter. Those snacks became so popular that they morphed into their own blog, which is Creative Kid Snacks.

I decided to post this entry here today because Easter is coming up, and this idea is a great way to use Easter egg coloring to teach the real Easter story to your kids. I hope you enjoy!

Are you looking for a way to include the real story of Easter in your egg-coloring this year?

I would highly recommend making Resurrection Eggs! I had the idea last year to make them and they worked so well as a teaching tool and as a way to incorporate the real Easter story, that they are now a mainstay of our Easter festivities.

To make them you will need:

1) Regular egg-dying supplies (i.e. a kit from the grocery store)

2) Colorful tissue paper (available at the Dollar Store)

3) Glue – any kind

That’s it!

You will make 4 eggs. As shown in the picture above (from left to right), you will make (1) a passover egg, (2) a cross egg, (3) a tomb with the stone rolling away egg, and (4) a heaven egg.

Process:

1) Dye your eggs first and let them dry. Choose colors against which the tissue paper you are using will pop. This coming year I will change the first egg’s backdrop color to a pale orange, I think.

2) Cut out your tissue paper to make the shapes shown above.

– Passover egg will be a red goblet and a yellow loaf of bread.

– Cross will be a red cross shape to also represent that Jesus bled while on the cross as our sacrifice

– The tomb will be a wide square with an archway cut out of the middle. You will also need a large circle for a boulder.

– Heaven will be a long blue cloud with yellow beams coming out.

3) Glue tissue paper onto eggs as shown and let dry.

Explanation for each egg:

Passover Egg: Jesus had a final meal with his disciples called a Passover meal. He explained to his disciples God’s plan to save the world from their sins through Jesus. Jesus was going to have to die on a cross. Jesus told the disciples to eat the bread and remember his body that would be broken for them and drink from the cup and remember the blood that he would shed on the cross.

Cross Egg: Jesus was crucified on a cross. The cross is red to show that Jesus bled and died on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price for our sins by dying in our place. Jesus never sinned. He was perfect and took the punishment for all of our sins upon himself so that we could be forgiven.

Tomb Egg: Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb and it stayed there for 3 days. On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead! The stone was rolled away by angels, and when the women came looking for Jesus, the angel said, “He is not here; He has risen!”. When Jesus rose from the dead it showed that he was who he said he was because he conquered death and that he had the power to forgive us from our sins.

Heaven Egg: Because of the Easter story, we will be with God in heaven when we die. Heaven will be a beautiful place filled with joy because we will be with God and see all of his glory!

(You can use your own words, of course, but that is roughly how we explained it last year).

How to involve the kiddos:

1) Ask your child to hand you each shape as you are ready to glue it on. As you glue it on, explain its meaning. Repeat this with all 4 eggs.

2) Go over the story again once the eggs are lined up. Take out your children’s bible (here’s ours), and read the Easter story. Have the kids point to the eggs being talked about.

3) Before Easter, have your kids tell a friend or relative about the resurrection eggs they made and each of their meanings.

4) On Easter morning, hide the eggs around the house, and have the kids find them and bring them back together before breakfast is served and Easter baskets are invaded.

5) Pray together as a family and thank God for each aspect of the Easter story.

6) Ask your child which egg is their favorite and why.

7) If your child is into hard boiled eggs, allow them to eat that one on Sunday morning as part of breakfast.

Surely you will come up with even more of your own great ideas for the Resurrection Eggs. I’d love to hear what you do with them if you try them!

Happy (early) Easter to you!

(Sharing HERE)

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

Thanksgiving PB Apple Turkey

Ingredients

Directions

Alternative serving suggestions:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Read the Story

Talk About It

Pray a Prayer of Thanksgiving

Act It Out

Frosty the Snowman

Ingredients:

Directions:

Frosty’s Wife

Ingredients:

Directions:

More Snowman Fun!

Santa Hat Poppers

Ingredients: (6 poppers)

Directions:

Make sure you also check out these fun Christmas Snacks and Lunches:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Turkey

Ingredients:

Directions:

Make Your Own American Flag

Ingredients:

How to make your own flag:

Cream Cheese Spread:

And now it’s time for the Weekly Kids Co-op!

To make them you will need:

Process:

Explanation for each egg:

How to involve the kiddos:

Best of

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