Fun with food: making edible art!

Making edible art is a great way to tap into a young child’s craving for tactical experiences. It can introduce new foods to picky eaters in a fun way and bring a smile during school lunch if an “arty” snack is discovered.

An easy activity for children under 4 years, and a Toddler Time favorite, is painting with whipped cream and Kool-Aid. (Food coloring can stain, so wear an apron or old clothes.) Sprinkle unsweetened, powdered drink mix in different colors on a piece of paper. Cover the powder with small spots of whipped cream and encourage your child to move the whipped cream around the paper. Your child’s fingers will mix the whipped cream with the powers and colors will magically appear, giving your child a fun sensory experience. This is a great introduction to finger painting.

Preschoolers and kindergarteners can build animals with small and large marshmallows, pretzel sticks and assorted chips (chocolate, butterscotch, etc). Pretzel sticks can serve as legs or connectors for the parts. An easy project is a stick figure person with a marshmallow head and body. With a little time and imagination, you and your child can make marvelous and delicious creations!

For older children, try raw vegetables to make fun figures. Carrots can be used as bodies, celery sticks as arms and legs, broccoli florets for heads, and nuts or berries can decorate faces. Dips, peanut butter, honey, or toothpicks can be used to keep parts together.

Eating your creations can be just as fun as putting them together, although some children may prefer just to play. Either way, these projects don’t last forever, so consider photographing your child’s edible art!

Submitted by: Education Department at Louisiana Children’s Museum

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