Whether your children have spent the majority of their time in the last year at school or learning from home, what’s consistent is that kids will need snacks while they spend time at home for the summer. Making these snacks with your children also serves as quality time for the both of you when they need something to do besides stare at a screen all afternoon. Saving money and staying healthy is of the utmost importance when planning for what our families eat, which we kept in mind when making our list of cost-effective and healthy snacks. Here are six summer snacks for kids to make at home with some help from an adult:
- Fruit Skewers
- Organic Juice Popsicles
- Rice Krispie Treats
- Homemade Trail Mix
- “Ants On a Log”
- Cucumber Sandwiches
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Fruit Skewers
A great way to make fruit fun and easy to eat for kids is to prepare them on bamboo skewers. Adult preparation is necessary for cutting up the fruit but using stamps to make creative shapes can make assembling this snack less of a chore. After all, summer snacks for kids are meant to be creative while keeping young ones healthy and hydrated. Great summer fruits for skewers can include strawberries, cherries, and watermelon.
Organic Juice Popsicles
Instead of eating frozen treats high in sugar with little to no nutritional value, try making popsicles with USDA organic certified juices from brands such as Honest Kids. The only supplies needed besides your kid’s favorite fruit juice are popsicle sticks and popsicle molds or ice cube trays will do in a pinch. These serve as a great way to cool off after a trip to the playground or the perfect treat after family activities at home.
Homemade Trail Mix
A low-calorie and high flavor summer snack for kids and adults to enjoy is your own homemade trail mix. It might be less effort to pick up a bag from the grocery store, but kids are especially notorious for avoiding flavors they dislike and even adults have trouble finding a trail mix with all of their favorite salty and sweet flavors. But by making trail mix at home with the right balance between components such as nuts, seeds, and savory or sweet mix-ins, everyone is satisfied. After you have your list of ingredients, “cook time” only consists of mixing together elements in a large bowl and dividing portions in sealable bags.
“Ants on a Log”
The nicknamed “ants on a log” usually consists of cut celery stalks covered in peanut butter with raisins or other dried fruit on top acting as the “ants”. Fun Fact: the snack combination of celery, peanut butter, and raisins has been popular among kids since the 1950s but the nickname came decades later. For children allergic to peanut butter, there are many alternatives with similar amounts of protein available including almond and sunflower seed butter. Eating ants on a log from the comfort of your home is much more enjoyable than ants showing up uninvited to an outdoor picnic.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Make use of seasonal vegetables by preparing bite-sized cucumber sandwiches for the summer. Besides white bread, cream cheese, and of course cucumbers, these are seasoned with salt, pepper, and dill. If you feel especially fancy, this summer snack pairs excellently with having a tea party with your daughter, niece, or other special girls in your life. Remember to stay as cool as a cucumber this summer with your tasty sandwiches!
Rice Krispie Treats
Rice Krispie treats may not be the healthiest of summer snacks for kids, but they’re delicious and hard to mess up in your own kitchen. It’s also easy to customize with different add-ins, dips and decorations, or substituting breakfast cereals. To learn the original recipe and directions for the stove-top and microwave, visit Rice Krispies’ website here.
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