How to Make Eating Fruit Fun For Kids

Fruit gives us many reasons to smile.

It's no secret when it comes to the health benefits of fruit. They contain a variety of vitamins including; Vitamin C, Vitamin A, folic acid and antioxidants. Different fruits contain different nutrients, therefore eating a variety is the best way to ensure you are getting all the nutrients possible. Parents and teachers can create fun ways for kids to eat fruit. Pick one way or try out several. By making eating fruit fun, you will get all the nutrients necessary for healthy development.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fruit
• Cutting tools
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup marshmallow cream
• 2 cups frozen whip cream
• Skewers
• Chop sticks

1. Create kid-friendly designs using different pieces of fruit. Make a clown face using grapes for the eyes, a cherry for the nose and a banana for the mouth. Or, make a puppy face using banana slices and raisins for the eyes, a prune for the nose, and sliced strawberry for the tongue.

2. Cut out interesting designs from cantaloupes and other melons. Melons are easier to cut compared to other fruits. Stores carry special fruit-cutting tools to create flowers, stars and other shapes. Use a combination of tools to create impressive cut-out designs. Place these shapes on your kids' plates at meal time.

3. Mix up tasty dips to dip your fruit in. A simple recipe included 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/2 cup marshmallow cream and 2 cups frozen whip cream. Mix the ingredients together until smooth. Keep it chilled in the fridge when not in use.

4. Make up some colorful fruit kabobs for snack time. You can use wooden or metal skewers, just be sure to be very careful with them around children and make sure they don't get injured by them. Rinse fruit with cool water. Slide strawberries, grapes, blueberries, banana pieces, orange slices and raspberries onto each skewer. Keep refrigerated until snack time.

5. Mix up a fruit salad and eat it with chopsticks. This is a fun way to get your vitamins and minerals. You can either use fresh fruit or canned fruit for the fruit salad. Mix a variety of fruits together in a bowl. Pineapple pieces, orange slices, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and sliced bananas are tasty ingredients for a fruit salad. Spoon out some fruit into a bowl. Have fun trying to use chopsticks to eat your fruit salad.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not let children use sharp tools or knives.

References

• Health Alternatives 2000: Fruit Nutrition Chart