Fun with food

Kids aren't the best eaters, which I am sure is no surprise.  Beyond bribing with treats, not much works to get little ones to eat the healthy stuff on their plate.  Sometimes even bribes don't work!

If you're at a loss at mealtime or are just looking for ways to make meals more fun, try making some food art.  Now, you don't need to be a food stylist to make this happen.  I just go with smiley faces most of the time.

Your kids may also enjoy making their own creations. 

This strategy is particularly helpful for children that are very picky eaters or have feeding challenges.  I once sat in awe and watched a speech pathologist work on getting children to explore different food textures by putting marshmallow fluff on the end of a pretzel rod and asking kids to go "fishing" by putting the sticky pretzel on some goldfish crackers.  Sounds disgusting, but those "picky" eaters ate up those fluff covered goldfish like it was manna from heaven.

Let your imaginations run wild!  I'd love to see some pictures, if you get creative.

If you need some further inspiration, amazon.com has some good selections for "food art."  Here is one:

Cool Fruit & Veggie Food Art: Easy Recipes That Make Food Fun to Eat! (Cool Food Art)

Hang up some love

More coffee filter action!  Your little one will adore decorating for Valentine's Day with this easy heart garland.  This is also a nice way to include children of all ages and abilities in one art project.  I find that when kids create together, they are even more proud of the finished product.

Start by getting some arty materials to decorate a coffee filter.  Once again, I love these dot markers.

Do-A-Dot Rainbow Art Set (Set of 6)

But don't get shy to use glitter glue, markers, stamps, whatever tickles your fancy! 

Once you have a good number of filters decorated, cut out some hearts.  Just fold the filter into quarters and cut out the heart shape.  Be sure to leave some of the fold intact.  You will want to fold the heart over the string.

Next, lay out your string and hang your hearts.  You can glue the inside of the hearts to the string or for the lazy in the room (me!) just use some scotch tape.  I also dabbed a bit of glue stick on the inside so the back and front of the hearts stuck together.

And here's the finished product.  Pretty darn cute, if you ask me!



Toys for 3-24 month olds

I don't know about you, but finding good baby toys always seems to be a challenge for me.  As many of you know, I can't stand toys with lights and music that don't offer baby anything more than a button to push.  So, I have found a lovely collection of toys that will keep babies busy and playing.  I do need to preface this list with the fact that spoons, cups, gladware containers and pans still rank first on my list as the best toys around for little ones.

The high school French student in me loves these little guys called Chan Pie Gnons, a play on the french word "champignon" for mushroom.  These are fantastic teethers from the people who make Sophie the Giraffe.  Since every baby has Sophie, be a non-conformist and get a Chan Pie Gnon.

For shape sorting, check out this wooden house from Land of Nod. It's so much cooler than the classic plastic version.

Kids Toys: Kids House Shapes Play Toy

I really love Plan Toys.  All of the toys are wooden and "green."  Here are some must-buys.

For a stuffed animal, this elephant is not only cute, but covered in silky tags. I've met so many babies who love to play with and rub their faces on these tags. I guess this company has too since they are called "Taggies."

My love for Melissa and Doug even carries over into the baby sector. The picnic basket is all the more darling when you put faces on the food.

Even though this is a toddler toy, I guarantee the child in your life will play with these instruments for much longer. This is a guaranteed baby pleaser. Plus, most toys from the Parents brand come with a free subscription to Parents magazine.

Here's another instrument that will stand the test of time. Anyone wanna polka?

Toddler Musical Toys: Toddler Accordian Squeeze Box

For those that can sit up in the tub, this sensory toy is fantastic.

And finally, the coup de grace, keys and cups!

Any other suggestions?