Getting children to eat their vegetables can be tough. Good thing I always have some fun ideas! Today we're exploring delicious fruits and vegetables in a fun way to help your child become accustomed to new tastes and textures.
Vegetable Boat Ingredients:
Cucumber
Cream Cheese
Sliced Cheese
Carrot Slice
Vegetables for Design (tomato or colored peppers)
How To Make Veggie Boats
Have your child cut the cucumber in half. If they are too little, cut the cucumber for them. Take one-half of the cucumber and have your child scoop out the seeds.
From the other half of the cucumber, cut a thin slice (along the length of the cucumber so you are able to bend it to create the sail).
Once your child has scraped out the seeds, dry the cucumber with a paper towel to absorb the liquid. Spread cream cheese into the cucumber.
To make your sail, take your carrot stick and push it through the bottom of the sliced cucumber (not the one with cream cheese), gently fold the cucumber over and pierce the other side with the carrot. Place the sail into your cream cheese boat.
For the flag, cut a slice of cheese into a triangle, place a toothpick into your cheese and push it onto the carrot. Use various vegetables to decorate your boat.
This fun activity provides your child with various opportunities to utilize their fine motor skills (scooping, spreading, etc). It also allows your child to work with bilateral or bimanual skills, using both hands at the same time.
Cutting your fruits and vegetables into fun shapes helps your child be more willing to try new foods.
Enjoy!