1. Monster Fruit Cups
Ingredients: Variety of fruits (like grapes, melon, and banana), yogurt or whipped cream.
Instructions: Use cookie cutters to create fun shapes from fruits. Arrange them in cups and add googly eyes made from chocolate chips or small candies.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Wash fruits and hand them to an adult.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Help arrange fruits in cups and add yogurt or whipped cream.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Use a dull knife to cut soft fruits with supervision.
2. Ghost Bananas
Ingredients: Bananas, mini chocolate chips.
Instructions: Cut bananas in half and place them upright. Use mini chocolate chips for eyes to create ghost faces.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Help peel bananas and place them on a plate.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Use mini chocolate chips to decorate the bananas.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Cut bananas in half with supervision.
3. Pumpkin Patch Hummus
Ingredients: Hummus, carrots, and cucumber sticks.
Instructions: Use a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter to cut out bell pepper pieces to place on top of hummus. Surround with carrot and cucumber sticks.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Wash vegetables and hand them to an adult.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Help arrange carrot and cucumber sticks.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Use a cookie cutter to cut bell pepper shapes (with supervision).
4. Witch’s Broomsticks
Ingredients: String cheese and pretzel sticks.
Instructions: Cut string cheese into thirds. Make slits at one end to resemble bristles, then insert a pretzel stick into the other end.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Help unwrap string cheese.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Help insert pretzel sticks into string cheese.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Use a dull knife to cut the string cheese into thirds with supervision.
5. Jack-O’-Lantern or Bat Quesadillas
Ingredients: Tortillas, cheese, and a cookie cutter.
Instructions: Cut cheese into pumpkin shapes with a cookie cutter, then fill a tortilla with the cheese, fold, and grill until the cheese melts. Use a knife to make eyes and a mouth on top.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Help sprinkle cheese onto tortillas.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Help fold tortillas and arrange them on a plate.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes from tortillas with supervision.
6. Yogurt Parfaits
Ingredients: Yogurt, granola, and fruit.
Instructions: Layer yogurt with granola and fruit in clear cups. Add a Halloween-themed topper or use black and orange sprinkles for decoration.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Help layer yogurt and fruit in cups (with supervision).
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Use a spoon to layer ingredients.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Use a dull knife to slice fruit with supervision.
7. Spooky Veggie Faces
Ingredients: Variety of cut veggies (like bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots), dip.
Instructions: Arrange the veggies on a plate to create funny faces. Use dip as “glue” for securing veggie pieces together.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Wash and hand vegetables to an adult.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Help arrange veggies on a plate.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Use a dull knife to cut soft vegetables with supervision.
8. Oatmeal Spider Cookies
Ingredients: Oatmeal cookie mix, chocolate candies, pretzel sticks.
Instructions: Bake oatmeal cookies, then use chocolate candies for the body and break pretzel sticks for the legs to create spider shapes.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Help measure and mix ingredients in a bowl (with supervision).
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Help place chocolate candies on cookies.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Use a spatula to mix dough and form cookies with supervision.
9. Apple Monster Teeth
Ingredients: Apples and peanut butter.
Instructions: Cut apples into wedges, spread peanut butter on one side, and add mini marshmallows to resemble teeth.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Help wash apples and hand them to an adult.
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Spread peanut butter on apple wedges (with supervision).
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Use a dull knife to cut apples into wedges with supervision.
10. Pumpkin Yogurt
Ingredients: Plain yogurt, pumpkin puree, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Instructions: Mix plain yogurt with pumpkin puree and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon for a healthy pumpkin-flavored treat.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Help mix yogurt and pumpkin puree in a bowl (with supervision).
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Help sprinkle cinnamon on top.
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Measure ingredients with supervision.
11. Monster Eyeballs
Ingredients: Grapes, blueberries, edamame, granola balls, cheddar balls, etc.
Instructions: Serve on the side.
- Toddlers (1-3 years): Cut fruit to avoid choking
- Preschoolers (3-5 years): Serve with a greek yogurt dip to increase protein
- Early Elementary (6-8 years): Let them help you pack their lunch and explain to their friends that they are eating spooky eyeballs
These treats are not only fun and festive but also nutritious and easy to prepare!
Always supervise children when they are helping in the kitchen, especially when using knives or handling hot items. This not only ensures safety but also creates a fun and engaging learning experience!
Knife Use Guidelines
- Ages 1-3: Avoid using knives; focus on washing and handing ingredients.
- Ages 4-5: Use plastic or dull knives with supervision for soft fruits and vegetables.
- Ages 6-8: Use small, child-safe knives with supervision to cut soft foods, and teach proper knife handling.
Meal ideas for Grow with Globowl toddler and up:
Photo #1: Bat Quesadillas with Trees (broccoli steamed) and Baby Spices Bean Bowl for dipping
Photo #2: Veggie Tikka Masala over brown rice with edamame and blueberry eyeballs
Photo #3: Bat and Ghost Quesadillas with Baby Spices Bean Bowl on top of quinoa with blueberry eyeballs
Photo #4: Dino nuggets with mandarin oranges + Yaya's Medi Bowl mixed in with Annie's Homegrown White Cheddar Mac & Cheese Shells
