Hyundai's Epic Playdate: Encouraging Sprouting Foodies Through Play

One of my dream playdates? I'd love to encourage Penelope to have an interest in cooking. So introducing her at a young age and making it fun is a great way to start! Our dream playdate would be creating a dish that makes it easy and fun at whatever level Penny and her friends are at. It could be simple sensory play by filling a tub full of Jello and letting the kids go at it, a one or two step dish or going a little more complex and making a whole meal out of it!

Having your toddler be a part of the meal making process helps her begin to develop an understanding and respect for where food comes from (you mean it doesn't just magically appear??) and sets the stage for a healthy lifestyle and autonomy.

Some fun ideas for various abilities:

• Greek Yogurt parfaits
• mini pancake cinnamon rolls 
• Snickerdoodle cookies - let the kids make the balls in their hands and roll the ball around in a bowl of cinnamon/sugar.
• Chocolate dipped pretzels or mashmallows (on a stick). Be sure to dip the pretzels or marshmllows in the chocolate yourself, as it could be hot! But kids will love sprinkling different toppings.
• Fruit and Cheese kabobs - cut up your toddler's favorite fruits and cheeses and help them spear the pieces with a long kabob stick (you can cut off the pointy ends ahead of time).

Of course, it goes without saying, always supervise your child and make sure they can safely play to their abilities! Some of my suggestions are not a good idea for all development levels.

Do you have any meals that your toddler can help you make?

Hyundai’s Epic Playdate Weekend is on April 27 from 9am-5pm in Santa Barbara, CA. Warm up  (#Washingtongirlforlife) Chill out with familiar bloggers (like Dooce, Mighty Girl, Oh Happy Day, Oh Joy, Say Yes To Hoboken, Girls Gone Child, BoingBoing, and How To Be A Dad) on the beach and check out their awesome workshops for kids, like an ice cream sundae bar, paint fight, kids’ photography class, and hula-hooping workshop!

The awesome part? Enter to win a trip for four to the event! The grand prize includes..

Round-trip transportation to Los Angeles for the winners and their families

A two-night stay at a Los Angeles hotel

One night of camping in Shelter Co Luxury tents (that include a camp butler) at Rancho Dos Pueblo in Santa Barbara

Access to family fun activities including making s’mores and building compressed air rockets

$270 in spending money

Some of the rules:

• Readers must have a Pinterest account to enter (see here for complete details)
• Because this is an invite only event, you will need to select The Clever Girl Collective under "How did you hear about us?"

So what are you waiting for?
Enter to win, or comment below and tell me what your epic playdate would be!

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective,

and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.