Get Crafty with Valentine's Day Food!
January 29, 2025
Get in a festive Valentine's Day spirit at mealtime and through some fun crafts! Read on for some fun and creative resources to celebrate the season!
Valentine’s Day playdough (*NOT edible!)
These fun play dough recipes, while not edible, will give your child a fun, seasonal activity to do inside. With flavors like chocolate, flower bouquet, and cherry, they will smell delicious too! Grab some cookie cutters or a plastic knife and let them explore!
Cupid’s Crunch
Cupid’s Crunch is a fun snack to celebrate Valentine’s Day. You could modify the ingredients for any holiday and add in your favorite dried fruits With popcorn (full of whole grains, yay!) and the possibility to add whole grain pretzels, this could be a filling treat too. If you make this, be sure to let us know what fun ingredients you added in for your family!
Valentine Fruit Wands
Looking for a festive fruit snack to add to your child’s lunch or for after school? Look no further! These fruit wands use strawberries (full of vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber!) and watermelon (great for hydration and full of vitamins and antioxidants). Add on top of a yogurt cup for a well-rounded snack!
Raspberry and Cream Popsicles
Homemade popsicles - yes please! You could modify these tasty frozen treats with any fruit your children prefer, raspberries just add a festive punch! Don’t have popsicle molds, no worries, use paper cups. You could also use any yogurt flavors too. Greek yogurt is a great source of calcium for strong bones and teeth and adds extra protein which will help keep little bellies full.
Valentine’s Day Fruit and Graham Cracker Snacks
Here’s a fun food craft! Give your child all the ingredients and see what silly smiles they can create. If you aren’t a peanut butter fan or are allergic, substitute in Wow Butter or Sunbutter for an equally delicious treat! Add whole grain graham crackers to amp up the fiber content and fill those little bellies.
Cupid’s Arrow String Cheese Snacks
These are great Valentine’s Day treats that are easy to make and offer something a bit different than candy greetings. Cheese sticks add calcium to our day to help with strengthening our bones and teeth. Pair with some whole grain crackers (whole grains will be listed as the first ingredient) for a tasty and hearty snack!
Valentine’s Day Frozen Fruity Yogurt Bites
Another way to enjoy frozen yogurt and fruit… these little treats can be made by little hands and put in muffin liners with adult help. Raspberries offer a great source of vitamin C, but you also use blueberries, peaches, strawberries, and/or bananas. You could mix in granola too!
Strawberry Pancake Skewers
Feel free to whip up your own homemade pancakes or use frozen ones from the store. These adorable pancake kabobs will get your child’s day off to a great start! Add yogurt to have 3 food groups at breakfast and fill those bellies to start their day.
Tic Tac Toe Toast
Start your day off with a game and a fun way to use conversation hearts. Play tic tac toe with your food! Not a fan of peanut butter, you can definitely substitute in Wow butter or Sunbutter for an equally yummy treat! Peanut butter is a great source of healthy fats and vitamin E. Use whole wheat toast for added fiber and some protein. A perfect combination for a filling meal or snack!
Heart Bird Seed Crafts (edible too!)
These adorable bird feeders are a fun snack for kids too! You can use any cereal you like so long as it has a hole in the middle of it. Stringing the cereal on the pipecleaner is great for littles to work on their fine motor skills. Hang up outside and watch the birds or use for a fun portable treat!
Exposing children to food through various activities like cooking, coloring and sensory play/projects enhances their understanding of food, leading to healthier eating habits. Try a sensory project, like making snacklaces!
A Fun Way to Introduce Your Child to Food!
Our Registered Dietitian (RD) has some practical tips to incorporate into mealtime for a more successful, enjoyable child-food relationship. The goals of these interaction are to create a positive relationship with food, enjoy happy meal times, reduce anxiety, reduce battles surrounding food, and fitting all types of food into a healthy lifestyle.
Apraxia is a motor speech disorder. Childhood apraxia of speech is a rare, but lifelong disorder that makes it difficult for individuals to move their mouth muscles in order to speak. The important thing to note about Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is that the child knows what they want to say, but may struggle with connecting the brain to the muscles that must accompany speech.
If you have a child who is a selective eater, learn about some time-tested eating tips including: nutrition guidelines, tips for parents during meal times, and types of food children tend to enjoy. Try a combination of these tricks and find what will work best for your family.
In a world often filled with uncertainty, Liam, a courageous six-year-old boy, has proven that faith, resilience, and the unwavering support of family can overcome even the most daunting challenges. His journey began on December 11th, 2023 when Liam fell down the stairs. What was thought to have been a seemingly innocent incident, quickly spiraled into a life-altering spinal stroke. Within moments, Liam went from a lively child full of energy to being paralyzed from the neck down, which left his family in shock, grappling with fear and confusion as they navigated the unknown.
