Want to win over a child? Play a game.
If you want your child to try new foods, try making a game out of it. Games, fun, laughter, new foods—these can be a winning combination. Try some of these ideas.
7 ways to make food fun
Name that food
Eating “Boris” Broccoli is a lot more fun than eating plain old broccoli.
- Come up with fun, silly names for foods and encourage your children to do the same
- Try building a story around the “food characters” you create
Dining room manager
If your child is not into being a chef, make him dining room manager. He can:
- Fold the napkins into animals or shapes
- Set the table
- Call the family to dinner
- Announce tonight's "specials"
- Compliment the "chef"
- Help put away the leftovers
- Clean up the table
Play with your food
Warning: This might get messy.
Up for some friendly competition? Make a meal with colorful foods and have your family make works of art on their plates. Then vote for:
- Best use of color
- Most creative
- Funniest, etc.
Children’s choice (with a little supervision)
Let your children create the dinner menu every once in a while.
- Have them pick out the ingredients
- Let them help prepare the meal for the family
- Eat enthusiastically, whatever it is
I bet you can’t
Play a game of “I Bet You Can’t” with your children. They’ll want to prove they can, so when they try the food, be sure to act amazed that they did. Enjoy a laugh.
Pizza, everyone?
Get your children to eat their veggies by letting them make their own mini-pizzas.
- Set up an assembly line with a variety of veggies
- Cut them into shapes they can use for decorations
- Watch them eat every bite
Grow a garden
Then watch your children gobble up the fruits and veggies when they’ve had a hand in growing and harvesting.