Depending on where you live, you’re probably looking for indoor activities to escape the heat just like me. So, let’s talk about some fun food-related activities that you can do at home either indoors or in your backyard. I want to emphasize that simply exposing your child to foods alone is not going to make them a more flexible eater or increase their food repertoire. However, positive and playful experiences with food can enhance a child’s willingness to try new things, help them develop a healthy relationship with eating, and foster their curiosity and comfort around various foods.

6 Fun Food-Related Activities to do at Home this Summer

1. Use Cookie Cutters to Cut Out Fruits and Make Patterns on Skewers

Turn snack time into a creative adventure by using cookie cutters to cut fruits into fun shapes. You can use watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, or any fruit that’s firm enough to hold its shape. Once you have an assortment of shapes, thread them onto skewers to make colorful and appealing fruit kebabs.

2. Add Jello to a Water Table Outside

Bring a new twist to outdoor play by adding Jello to a water table. The wobbly, slippery texture of Jello provides a unique sensory experience and can help children become more comfortable with different textures, which is important for their feeding development. Plus, as the Jello melts, it turns back into liquid, making clean-up a breeze.

3. Use Cut Fruits for Painting

Combine art and food by using cut up fruits for painting. Slice apples, oranges, or other fruits and dip them in edible paint or food coloring mixed with water (or even use the cookie cutters from idea number 1!). Your kids can use these fruit pieces as stamps to create beautiful patterns and pictures. This activity encourages creativity and provides a playful introduction to new foods.

4. Mix Ice Cream Flavors Together

Experimenting with ice cream flavors can be a delightful and tasty activity. Gather a few different ice cream flavors and let your kids mix small scoops together to create new combinations. They can use spoons to stir and taste their creations. This activity promotes sensory exploration and can help children become more open to trying new flavors and textures.

5. Freeze Some Fruits and Check Out What Happens

Who doesn’t love a good science experiment? Try freezing various fruits and observing the changes. Place grapes, berries, or slices of bananas on a baking sheet and freeze them. Once frozen, let your kids touch, taste, and describe how the fruit has changed. You could even fill out a chart together with your predictions, observations, and final conclusions!

6. Create a “Menu” and Choose Items for a Smoothie

Encourage your kids to design a menu for their own smoothie bar. Provide a selection of fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients like yogurt, milk, or juice. Let them choose their favorite combinations and blend them into a delicious smoothie. This activity gives children a sense of control and ownership over their food choices, making them more likely to try and enjoy different ingredients.

These playful food-related experiences can help build a positive relationship with food that will benefit their feeding development. It’s important to provide low-pressure opportunities when engaged with food, which may mean that they don’t taste the foods during these activities right now and that’s ok! Work with your child’s feeding therapist to help determine what cues may be best for your child when it comes to tasting foods.

Kelly is a Speech Language Pathologist who specializes in providing therapy and coaching from children to teens and young adults with feeding challenges. She prides herself on individualizing therapy sessions so that you meet your goals, whether that’s expanding your food repertoire, ordering something off a restaurant’s menu, or just appreciating your food preferences so that you can be present at social events.

Kelly uses a variety of therapy techniques, including sensory and behavioral therapies, as well as alternative therapy techniques, such as hypnosis, to help each of her clients find the success they’re seeking.

Contact Kelly at Food 4 Thought Therapy at kelly@food4thoughttherapy.com or visit https://food4thoughttherapy.com/contact/ to book your free consultation, get your questions answered and to take the first step towards your journey.

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