Shape Snacks
Children enjoy snack foods in several different shapes.
Children enjoy snack foods in several different shapes.
What you'll need
- tray of snack foods in assorted shapes (crackers of different shapes, cheese cut into different shapes, banana slices)
Step by step
Step 1
Prepare a tray of snack foods in several different shapes. Crackers are available in circles, ovals, squares, and triangles. You can cut cheese into any shape. Banana slices are circles. You may think of other shape foods to add.
Step 2
Have the children wash their hands. As they wash, talk with them about the importance of washing the germs away from our hands before eating.
Step 3
Offer the snack to the children. As they choose the ones they would like to taste, name the shapes they selected.
Step 4
Encourage the children to talk about how the snacks look, feel, and taste. Do the foods taste sweet or salty? Are they soft or crunchy? Do they have a favorite?
More ideas
Caution: Always check for allergies before serving foods. Talk with families to learn the schedule each child's doctor recommends for introducing new foods.
Infants: Offer children eating solids some crackers or fruits pieces. Infants will often make faces to show whether they like the food they are eating or not. Observe how they react to the different flavors or textures. Name the shapes as they eat.
Learning outcomes
Physical Development and Health
Physical Health, Growth
Begins eating purees and solid foods with interest
Enjoys preferred foods, tries some new foods; consumes finger foods independently
Tries and consumes a variety of nutritious foods with prompting; chooses from healthy foods; knows some foods are better than others for our bodies
Physical Development and Health
Fine Motor Development
Uses hands or feet to make contact with mouth, objects, or people, eventually using hands to grasp small objects between thumb and fingertips; transfers objects from one hand to another; claps
Uses both hands to hold and manipulate objects (holds block and adds another block to top)
Uses more refined hand and wrist movements (scribbles, stacks blocks, turns pages)
Uses different actions on objects (kicks, pats, swipes, shakes); explores food with hands and fingers; coordinates sucking/chewing and swallowing, eventually grasping easy-to-handle foods
Coordinates hand and eye movements and controls small muscles when doing simple tasks (uses tools for feeding, hammers pegs, uses large crayons for scribbling); uses fingers and hands to grasp and eat finger foods and drink from cups; uses tools for feeding; drinks with a straw
Uses hands and eyes together to complete tasks requiring a moderate amount of control (completes three or four piece puzzles, thread beads with large holes, uses shape sorter)
Physical Development and Health
Safety Awareness and Self-Care
Responds well when physical needs are met (diaper changes, feedings, nose care)
Accepts and is more involved with physical care routines (toothbrushing, nose wiping, diapering, handwashing, dressing, etc.)
Shows self-care development in physical care routines (assisting with toothbrushing, handwashing, dressing, diapering/toileting, nose wiping, covering mouth when coughing/sneezing, etc.)
Math
Geometry and Spatial Sense
Explores sizes and shapes of objects with hands and mouth.
Explores shapes and objects and how they fit together.
Recognizes and matches some familiar shapes, expanding to shapes of different sizes and orientations; names attributes of shapes with adult support.
Language/Literacy
Expressive Language (Speaking)
Uses and imitates sounds, gestures, or signs to express needs and wants.
Uses consistent sounds, gestures, signs, or words for a variety of purposes to express needs and wants which are understood by familiar adults.
Participates in simple two-way verbal or nonverbal (signs) conversations to express and talk about needs, wants, experiences, and ideas.
Begins making specific sounds, gestures, facial expressions to communicate.
Learns and uses new words each day to label people and objects, sing songs, make requests.
Uses new words each day for objects, actions, and to describe feelings, etc.; begins to understand some opposite concepts.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-Awareness and Self-Concept
Shows preference for familiar people and objects
Develops and expresses preferences for food, objects, textures and may push away non-preferred items
Chooses favorite foods, objects, and activities