3 Fun Mealtime Ideas for Your Kids
Make Family Meals Fun
You can turn meal planning and family mealtime into fun time with your kids with these three super easy ideas. Even if you don't enjoy cooking and dread the thought of planning yet another meal for your family, it will be easy to get the whole family excited about preparing and eating these meals. It doesn't matter how old your kids are either; there are ways for all ages to participate in the planning and preparation.
MONDAY PICNIC
Picnics are always a fun way to enjoy a meal and kids love them! Sure, picnics might be more fun in the warmer months and less messy when you can have them outdoors, but you can also enjoy a fun family picnic any time of year when you do it indoors. What kid wouldn't love the idea of eating dinner on a blanket on the floor of the living room?
You can let your kids do the planning because picnics are easy and you can challenge them to remember everything they will need (silverware, napkins, condiments, blanket, etc). They can also be in charge of choosing the menu, with the challenge of making sure the meal is nutritionally balanced. Some great indoor picnic meal ideas include hotdogs, hamburgers, and sub sandwiches. Add some sliced fruits and vegetables, crackers or Popchips, and maybe even potato salad and you are good to go. It will be a blast eating together on the floor!
MONDAY TEA PARTY
You can add some culture to your Monday family mealtime by having an old fashioned tea party. Tea parties may traditionally be held in the afternoon, but change is good, especially when it's fun and it promotes family time!
You can involve the kids by having them create beautiful and fun place settings, or colorful menus. You can ask each child to come up with something special to add to the event. Dressing up is another way to make the tea party an event. But don't do it if it feels stressful, that's not the point. The point is to have fun and enjoy a meal together that promotes involvement and nutrition.
Some really fun things you can add to the menu are finger sandwiches cut into silly shapes, sliced cucumbers, cubed fruits eaten with colorful toothpicks, kid-friendly tea in tea cups, different types of crackers, etc. The possibilities are endless.
MONDAY OPPOSITE DAY
If you have never tried having breakfast for dinner you are really missing out! Another fun way to make Monday meals into funday time with your kids is to invite them to create an opposite day. Let each family member choose their favorite breakfast item and, if they are old enough, they can even prepare it. Be sure to include some fresh fruits for some balance.
Don't forget to wear pajamas to the dinner table to make a true opposite day meal. You can even add some hidden learning to the meal by having your kids name the opposite of various words, items, etc.
These are just three ideas to add some fun to Monday meals with your kids; there are tons of ways to get creative and involve your kids in mealtime planning and preparation. What are some of your favorites?
