Kids' Corner

Food for Kids

PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD

Much like an arts and crafts project, making a snack can become an after-school activity. The bonus: Kids get to eat their artwork, and you get to sneak nutritious foods into their diet.

SNACK ART

Create a work of art using the following elements:

•The Foundation Celery, carrots, zucchini or cucumbers cut into sticks or rounds; banana, apple or pineapple slices; melon balls; lettuce leaves; or orange sections

•The Cement Peanut butter, cream cheese, cheese spread, yogurt, jam, pizza sauce or ranch dressing

•The Decorations Seeds, nuts, grapes, raisins, olives, frozen peas or beans.

Lay out the materials and give each child plastic utensils and a plate "canvas." Suggest that they build sharks, monsters, cars, flowers, or have them write their names.

TIP: This makes a great birthday party activity.

WIGGLE WORMS

Fruit, such as grapes, melon, bananas or strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces
Pretzel sticks
Chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Spear about four pieces of fruit onto each pretzel, as if making a kebab, to create the worms. Leave a tip at the end for the tail. Parents, you can pre-spear the fruit.

Join two worms with a piece of fruit for a longer creepy-crawler. Use sprinkles to make eyes, spots or tiny feet.