Baby Led Eating: corn on the cob

Corn on the cob: easy to hold and manipulate, great oral sensory input, sweet and delicious, difficult to bite off large choking hazard sized pieces.

Easy Toddler Food Crafts: Beets

Many adults don't like beets so convincing kids to try beets can be tough to say the least.  But the more exposure a person (or child) has to a food, the more likely he or she is to eat it.  So get started with a fun, beet-y food craft so that by by the time you introduce beets in a meal, they will be familar to your child and connected to a fun memory!

Beets have such a beautiful color, what better way to craft with them than to paint or stamp:

I realize that licking the beet is not the most sanitary thing to do but it is a great way to get a child to taste the beet without the pressure of telling them to taste it.  Often the child will look at you like you're crazy at first and hesitate for a moment.  But when the kiddo decides that it looks really really fun to stamp, and he doesn't want to be left behind, often he'll just go for it!  I wait until after the kiddo has licked the beet a few times before I ask him or her what it tastes like.  

Easy Toddler Food Crafts: Tomato Boats

Tomato Boats on Lake Hummus

This cute craft/snack couldn't be easier to make.  Wrap a piece of washi tape around a toothpick to make a boat mast and flag, cut a cherry tomato in half and let your toddler assemble the boat by scooping up tomatoes with the toothpicks and floating them in hummus. 

This is a great snack for a playdate.  Let your kiddo help you assemble these ahead of time to serve to friends, or make this a fun activity and snack rolled into one for all the kids to enjoy!