snack time with Littles! Part 1 - our snack time tips!

3 hours ago
10 min read

Thursday, February 26., 2026

In l ast week’s post, as part of our focus on Goldilocks,

we shared a cute snack idea.

It got us thinking about other fun snacks we’ve shared with our Littles

and then we discovered that February is

National Snack Food Month

and a new post series was born!

There’s something about the words, “Did someone say snacks?” that can bring little feet running in an instant. Snack time has a way of becoming more than just a morning or afternoon boost — it often turns into a sweet spot in the day. A chance to sit, to chat, to giggle, to connect.

And in this grandparent season of life, we can find ourselves on call and, at times, needing to come up with snack ideas for our Littles, sometimes on a moment's notice! Whether it’s a planned afternoon together or a spontaneous visit, those little bodies don’t wait long, especially when they are hungry. We want to be ready with options that feel special, but also simple, healthy and parent-approved.

Today we’re diving into this magical time of day

with Part 1 of a two-part series

devoted to snacking with Littles!

In this post, we're sharing our mix of practical tips for the busiest days

and playful ideas that turn simple bites into an adventure

for those times when you can take extra time in the kitchen..

We’ve gathered everything you’ll need to fuel up your Littles!

Snack time doesn’t have to be complicated or over-the-top to be special. With a little thought and preparation, it can become one of those steady, comforting rhythms the Littles come to expect whenever they spend time with you!

Here are the basics to consider when providing snacks

for the Littles in your lives!

😋 Stock Simple, Wholesome Staples!

Think: protein + fiber = happy, steady Littles.

Fresh fruit (bananas, berries, apple slices), cheese slices, cut veggies with dip, yogurt cups and whole grain crackers are all balanced basics and great options for a quick, healthy pick me up!.

😋 Grab-and-Go Options!

Think: convenience helps you stay relaxed and present!

Applesauce pouches, trail mix (watch those nuts and sticky dried fruit for young Littles), mini muffins, cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs and pre-portioned snack bags work well!

😋 Hydration Matters!

Think: sometimes “I’m hungry” really means “I’m thirsty.”

Keep full water bottles within reach or offer small cups that Littles can manage independently.

If you want to make snack time more fun and, therefore, more memorable,

consider these suggestions, too!

😋 Change the Look of Things! 😋

Sometimes it’s not about what you serve — it’s about how you serve it.

“Cookie Cutter” Magic!

This is the oldest trick in the book for a reason! Turn a boring square sandwich into a star, a heart or a dinosaur. Use small metal cutters to turn melon, cucumbers or apple slices into tiny flowers or animals or punch shapes out of cheese slices to “decorate” crackers!

We both LOVE our cookie cutters

and discovered that we each have this set of miniature ones!

They’ve come in hand many, many times

(and not just when we're making food for Littles)!

The “Food on a Stick” Strategy!

Everything is more exciting when it’s a kebab, right? Use blunted bamboo sticks or colorful plastic picks to layer grapes, berries, and melon. or even pieces of meat sticks and a cheese stick.

Look at our Rainbow Fruit Skewers!

We served our skewers with a dip of vanilla yogurt,

covered in rainbow sprinkles, of course!

Popsicle sticks come in so handy at snack time! You can use them as a spoon, a knife or a handle when cooking with Littles!

How About Our Rainbow Yogurt Popsicles?

You’ll use popsicle sticks for the popsicle handle and to mix the yogurt and food coloring! . (NOTE: We used jumbo popsicle sticks for the handles when making these!)

We added food coloring to several bowls of yogurt and then layered the colors in a paper cup, stuck a popsicle stick in the cup and froze each until set. Once frozen, you can peel the paper cup from the yogurt popsicle!

VARIATIONS: You can use different flavors of yogurt or use different colors of food coloring to make a pattern or design! You can also add mini chocolate chips or fruit, too!

MAKE RAINBOW PARFAITS! As an alternative, don’t use the popsicle sticks and don't freeze your yogurt! Instead, add your yogurt to clear plastic or glass cups to make a layered parfait that looks as good as it tastes!

Seasonal Fun!

One of the sweetest ways to make snack time special is by letting the calendar inspire you. Use cookie cutters, festive napkins, colorful plates, or even just a themed name — “Bunny Bites,” “Turkey Treats,” or “Snowman Snacks.” Littles delight in the smallest touches.

Halloween Fun!

Ghost bananas and orange pumpkins!

The ghost bananas have eyes and a mouth made from mini chocolate chips

and the pumpkin oranges have a stem made from a thin strip of celery!

And how about some spooky teeth!

Littles love making these mouths Each is a quarter of an unpeeled apple with a middle section carved out to make the “mouth”. Then we added peanut butter, a berry tongue and sunflower seed teeth!

Patriotic Treats!!

Add a little red, white and blue to your snack foods

to celebrate Memorial Day, Flag Day or Independence Day!

For this Memorial Day treat, we added strawberry jam to a slice of toast

with a square of plain cream cheese spread in the upper left corner.

Then we added blueberries for the “stars”

and banana slices cut in half for the white stripes!

EXTRA! EXTRA!

This snack gave us the chance to talk about the American flag

and what features we see on it!

When making a snack that's inspired by the season or holiday at hand,

use that opportunity to share memories of the past with your Littles!

They will love hearing about their moms and dads as youngsters themselves!

And Finally… Food Art!

Arrange the food to tell a story or make a design on the plate!

Make a Favorite Animal!

Check out our “caterpillar” - isn’t it cute?

We made our caterpillar out of tortilla rollups filled with turkey and cream cheese that we sliced into pieces. We lined the slices up on a plate and added a head made from a ball of mozzarella. We added an olive eye and carrot antennas. Fruit and veggies completed our plate!

Then There’s Flower Power!

Make a veggie flower by putting a dollop of hummus or dill dip

in the center of a plate.

Then add bell pepper “petals” and a celery “stem” to complete the flower.

Or… a favorite!

Let your Littles create to their hearts content!

Our Littles love creating designs with cut-up fruit,

with a plate, a bagel, a graham cracker or a rice cake as the canvas!

😋 Use a Fun Tool or Two! 😋

Your Littles will be so intrigued

if they see you using a fun gadget to make their snack!

They’ll want to join in, too!

Measuring spoons (to make trail mix) an egg slicer (to make egg salad) or a citrus juicer (to make juice) are great options as is this apple corer!

Our fancy corer made looooonnng apple “strings”!

They tasted so yummy!

We used one of our Little’s fidget toys (called a “poppler”) and made our own yogurt bites!

We bought a box of our Little’s favorite yogurt pouches and squeezed dollops of yogurt into each section of the (clean) toy. We froze these until solid and then transferred our “yogurt bites” into a plastic bag! Delish! Plus, cost effective, too!

We used a potato masher to mash avocados and then mixed in cottage cheese and Everything but the Bagel seasoning for a tasty snack one day.

We ate this up! YUM!

😋 Choose a Fun Snack Spot! 😋

Where and how you eat your snack can make the experience extra special, too!

Where?

Whether it’s the kitchen table, island stools,

or even a cozy picnic on the living room floor or outside on a summer day,

setting up a tablecloth - or towels - in a special spot

will get your Littles excited and make things extra special!

How?

Change up how you serve snacks to your Littles, too!

We love to make personalized “charcuterie” boards for our Littles.

We’ve used muffin tins filled with colorful liners.

And we’ve used ice cube trays with more compartments, too!

We’ve even used a tackle box (ours was an inexpensive new one) when out on the lake during the summer! Imagine how surprised our Littles’ were to open that tackle box!

😋 Add a Little Something Special! 😋

We’re GRANDS so we can give ourselves permission

to have a filled cookie jar for our Littles!

We also like picking up inexpensive seasonal napkins and/or plates

to make meal and snack times more memorable!

Below are a few more whimsical ways

to add that “extra touch” to any snack routine!

Make Snack Time a “Color Theme” for a Day!

Choose a "color of the day" and build the snack tray around it. It turns eating into a visual scavenger hunt and encourages Littles to try “new” foods!

• The Ruby Tray: Red bell peppers, strawberries, and raspberries.

• The Sunshine Plate: Mango chunks, yellow cheese cubes, and pineapple.

A “Tiny Tea Party”!

Put on some soft "café" music and sit together. It’s a great way to practice "fancy" manners while bonding. Even if the "tea" is just apple juice or water, the pageantry of it all makes it special.

• The Equipment: Use a small ceramic or high-quality plastic tea set.

• The Food: Cut sandwiches into tiny triangles and remove the crusts. Serve "mini"

versions of everything—one single grape, one tiny cracker, one small cube of cheese.

Toothpick Time!

This one is SO simple but it’s definitely one of our Littles’ favorite ways to enjoy a snack. Simply provide a few toothpicks for each Little when you serve a snack. Littles love using the toothpicks as their fork!

The Dipping Station!

Everything is better with a dip! Give each Little a tiny bowl of “clouds” (whipped cream or yogurt) or “lava” (jam) to dunk fruit or graham crackers into!

Personalized Place Mats!

We saved the best for last! Look at these speiclal placemats Laurie created for her Littles! They use them ALL the time!

I made these custom placemats on Shutterfly, where they have LOTS of different styles available! Our Littles love them! We’ve had them for a few years now. These placemats would make a wonderful gift for Littles who are eighteen months and older!

When having a snack (or lunch), we’ve played placemat games like “Where’s Little D?” Both of my Littles love pointing and finding themselves! Now, at two-years-old, Little P loves to name the people. We spell her name every time we eat on it and I’m excited to say she’s already recognizing multiple letters in her name! Another fun game is to “feed” all the people in the photos by using Cheerios to cover letters and people!

Not every snack needs to be a treat…

but, every once in awhile, a little delight

goes a long way in making lasting memories!

Whether you have Littles in your home every day or just on special afternoons, having a few simple snack-time strategies can make those moments feel less rushed and more joyful — for your Littles and for you!

We’ll be back with two new posts next week!

Early in the week we’ll take a look back at February with a new edition of

Then, we will follow up this post with Part 2 of the series…

Snack Time with Littles!

Part 2 - A Few Favorite Nibbles!

In that post, we’ll highlight our favorite snacks to share with Littles,

recipes included!

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Our Final Tip!

Our most important tip isn’t found in the pantry. It isn’t the organic crackers or the perfectly cut fruit. It isn’t even the special treat tucked away on the top shelf.

The most important part of snack time is YOUR presence!

Snack time is conversation time. Story time. Question-asking time. It’s the moment when little legs finally slow down and busy hands pause long enough to share what they built, what they imagined, what made them laugh — or what made them sad.

It’s where family stories can be told once again. Where “When your mommy was little…” begins. Where crumbs scatter across the table and memories quietly take root.

As GRANDS, we have the luxury of unhurried minutes. Snack time gives us a natural pause to look into their eyes, listen closely, and let our Littles feel known. It’s less about what’s served and more about who is sitting at the table. Less about the food and more about the moments.