How to Make a Snack Box to Control Snacking

A snack box is an easy and fun way to control your child's snacking. Kids like to snack and they don't always want healthy snack options. By decorating and filling their own snack box, kids will feel in control of snack time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• paper mache box
• paint
• stickers
• markers

1. Select the container for your snack box. A paper mache box of any shape will work well and can easily be decorated.

2. Allow your child to decorate the snack box using paint, markers, stickers, and any other embellishments of your choice. This step gives your child ownership over the snack box. Make sure to give the snack box plenty of time to dry.

3. Determine how many snacks you will allow your child to have in a day.

4. Gather several healthy snack choices for your child. Only offer snacks that you want your child to eat. Make sure to have more options than you will allow your child to select. This will give your child more control and will make her feel like she actually picked her own snacks.

5. Allow your to select the predetermined number of snacks. Let her put the snacks in her snack box. To make it more fun, give your child tokens or money so she can "buy" her snacks. This will also serve as a physical reminder of how many snacks she may choose.

6. Send your child to the snack box at snack time. She can select one of her snacks from the snack box. Because the snack options are limited to the snacks she chose, you have more control over snack time. You can ensure your child is making healthy choices. It also prevents snacking too often.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to offer a variety of snacks.
• Select items for the snack box first thing in the morning so it is ready to go when snack time rolls around.

[kagee]

on 2/16/2009 Cute idea!

[rewrite810]

on 2/6/2009 I love this idea! Great way to offer choices, but still "control" the snacking. Thanks for sharing. 5*