5 TIPS TO GET KIDS TO EAT
Getting children to sit and finish their meals can be a stressful daily challenge. Experts often suggest incorporating ‘fun’ into mealtimes, but figuring out how to achieve this can be daunting – especially when you’re busy planning and preparing healthy meals. Here are our top 5 tips to get children to eat, while making the experience fun and interactive.
Get personalised plates and cutlery
When children feel some ownership over their eating experience, they’re more likely to eat up. Colourful plates and cutlery tailored at their age level can foster a sense of independence that helps
Make food fun
Finger foods and fun-shaped foods are not only easy for kids to eat, but they can be used to start educational conversations. For example you could cut vegetables into basic shapes and serve them up on the Shapes plate, drawing connections between the 2D and 3D world and expanding spatial awareness.
Get kids involved
Building on the point above, you could encourage them to suggest the shapes you cut the vegetables into, or make pictures (such as faces) with the food.
Out with distraction, in with interaction
Turning off TVs and electronic devices (excepting music) helps to eliminate the distractions that can draw kids away from their food. Replacing this with an interactive experience the child can share with the adult – like an educational plate – can keep kids focused on the task at hand while fostering a positive mealtime interaction.
Have family dinners
Whether it’s literally ‘family’ or a communal meal with educators, carers or friends, making mealtimes about interacting with other people encourages kids to make positive associations around eating. Whatever you decide to do, Education on a Plate’s range of fun, interactive learning exercises on practical meal plates can be a great addition to mealtimes, allows guardians and kids of all ages to eat, learn and interact. If you try these tips, we’d love to hear how you went. Good luck!
