The ultimate after-school snack just got levelled up. And you don’t even need to cook to make this fun DIY board for hungry babes.
By Maegan Brown
Got an after-school snack go-to? Or are you always finding yourself elbows-deep in the pantry, looking for that last packet of sultanas? [Same].
Whether it’s just your ravenous babes, or a whole party of preschoolers, feeding kids is all about that balance of healthy and fun. Not to mention, doesn’t-take-hours-to-prep. You can make snack time fun and yummy with this interactive board. It lets the little ones build their own ‘ants on a log’ or ‘fish in a river,’ all while practicing their spelling with alphabet-shaped cookies on the side.
It’s a simple way to bring everybody together and talk about the day.
After-School Snack Board
Serves 6-8 people
Use a 15-inch (38 cm) round board
Ingredients
½ cup (120 g) hummus
½ cup (130 g) peanut butter
5 celery ribs, cut in thirds
12 white cheese shapes (precut or cut with a small cookie cutter)
12 orange cheese shapes (precut or cut with a small cookie cutter)
1 cup (120 g) Colby Jack cheese cubes
20 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bites
12 red grapes, cut in half
12 green grapes, cut in half
2 mandarin oranges, peeled and segments separated
1 cup (75 g) snap peas
1 cup (120 g) baby carrots
½ cup (60 g) dried cranberries
1 cup (60 g) fish-shaped crackers
1 cup (140 g) snack mix (store-bought)
1 cup (100 g) veggie straws or sticks
1 cup (16 g) white cheddar corn puffs
1 cup (120 g) yogurt-covered pretzels
½ red apple, sliced
2 cups (240 g) alphabet-shaped cookies [store-bought, or make your own], on the side to spell with and eat
Method
Time to get that after-school snack board from packet to platter!
- Put the hummus and peanut butter in small serving bowls and place the bowls on the board.
- Arrange half the celery around the hummus bowl and half around the peanut butter bowl.
- Place the cheese shapes on either side of the board and the cheese cubes in the center of the board between the bowls of hummus and peanut butter.
- Add 10 of the oatmeal chocolate chip bites to the board. Save the remaining 10 to refill the board if needed.
- Place the halved grapes, orange segments, snap peas, and carrots on the board.
- Add the dried cranberries near the bowl of peanut butter and the fish-shaped crackers near the bowl of hummus, encouraging the kids to create ‘ants on a log’ with the celery, peanut butter, and dried cranberries and ‘fish in a river’ with the celery, hummus, and fish-shaped crackers as they snack.
- Pile the snack mix near the center of the board.
- Place the veggie straws, corn puffs, yogurt-covered pretzels, and apple slices in the gaps across the board.
- Put the alphabet-shaped cookies in a bowl to the side and encourage the kids to spell with them.
After-school snack, sorted!
Images and text from Beautiful Boards by Maegan Brown, photography by Jerrelle Guy, Rock Point Gift & Stationery RRP $24.99
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