The Easter holiday, for young children, is typically filled with chocolate eggs and bunnies, jellybeans, cookies and cupcakes. This article provides some suggestions for healthy snacks for children to make, cooking activities for teachers to provide in the classroom and ideas for parents or guardians who are bringing treats for an Easter preschool party (all of these suggestions are peanut-free). In addition, some healthy alternatives for filling up the Easter basket are provided.
Easter Snacks for Preschool Children to Make
It is a good idea for a quality preschool program to include cooking activities to help develop self help and fine motor skills. Here are some suggestions for snacks made by preschool hands.
Egg Salad Sandwiches
The ingredients and material required are:
- individual cutting boards
- one or two slices of bread (brought in by parents is a good idea)
- a small bowl of mayonnaise or dressing
- a small empty bowl
- a hard boiled egg
- a plastic knife or a butter knife
- a fork
- slice pickle(optional)
With this cooking activity, the preschoolers are allowed to make their very own sandwich. For some three and four year-olds, it may be their first time using a knife for spreading and peeling a hardboiled egg. The latter step may require adult assistance. Explain to the children before the cooking activity how they will peel the egg, then place it into the bowl with mayonnaise and with a fork smash, and mix the ingredients all together. They will then place the egg salad onto the bread to enjoy. This is a food choice that may not be enjoyed by all preschoolers, but often when they make it themselves, the pride in their accomplishment makes that food tastier. The child could eat his/her sandwich right away, or it could be held to eat at a group setting.
Mini Bagel Topped with Different Color Cream cheese
Similar to the sandwich, allow preschool children to spread different color cream cheese onto the bagel, just like an Easter egg. The cream cheese can easily be tinted different colors with a touch of food coloring. Multigrain bagels/breads are always the healthiest choice of all.
Mini Carrot Muffins
This cooking activity can be done with a small group of children or as a larger group at circle time. If the steps are drawn out on a large piece of paper with visual pictures, it aids in math skill development, following directions and basic baking lessons.
Once the muffins are cool, the children can ice them with cream cheese icing, and an optional step is to top them off with colour flake coconut with a few jellybeans, making them look like little baskets. Alternatively, mini baskets can be made out of individual yogurt containers that can be decorated by the children and then be the holder for their healthy mini muffin.
Egg Shaped Pancakes
This cooking activity involves the teacher's guidance and monitoring. The teacher can place out the pancake mix with water for the children to stir and then using an egg shaped cookie cutter, allow the children to place the mix into the shape for cooking. A great idea to facilitate this step is to use a turkey baster for the pancake mix. The pancake can then be enjoyed with strawberry flavoured syrup, and/or some yogurt with sliced fruit.
Trail Mix
Give each child a paper bag and allow them to make their very own trail mix. Each bowl will have a scoop provided for the children to use. Ingredient suggestions are: pretzels, multigrain Cheerios, mini jellybeans, mini marshmallows, raisins, dried cranberries or other dried fruit.
Healthy Snack Choices for an Easter Party
Very often parents or guardians are selected or have volunteered to bring in food for an Easter party at preschool. There are many regulations and guidelines now about making healthy food choices. There are still ways to make the food look appealing, taste great and have that special treat quality to them. Some ideas are:
- Rice Krispie shaped bunnies or mini nests with a few jellybeans or gummy bears
- fruit bouquet made with fruit kebobs
- mini carrots and dip
- healthy muffins with cream cheese icing and sprinkles
- Jello jigglers
- a big basket filled with Individual boxes of raisins, fish crackers, and so forth which can then be passed around for children to choose from
Healthy Alternatives to Filling the Easter Basket
Whether filled at school or at home, as part of an Easter Egg Hunt or provided by the Easter Bunny, the baskets can be filled with some chocolate and then alternative healthy choices. The following list provides some ideas and many of these can be found by birthday locations in dollar stores:
- mini bubbles
- stickers
- mini play dough
- pencils, erasers, rulers, mini pads of paper
- small toys
- collectible cards, like baseball, Pokemon, etc.
- Club Penguins points and other popular online sites
- movie coupons
Preschool children love the holidays, and can still enjoy the festivities and activities without the added sugar.
Christine Moore - Early Childhood Educator, Preschool/Daycare Resources, Online Workshop Instructor, ECE, BGS
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