Food. We eat meals 3 times a day, plus a few snacks in between. Our days sometimes revolve around meals-it's not just time to eat, but rather an event, a chance to connect with the family and friends, an invitation for conversation. It's also a learning experience-think about all of the opportunities to teach a child during a meal-everything from nutrition and where food comes from to traditions surrounding food and table manners, and lots more in between. In our home, we frequently "play" with our food, particularly at lunchtime.
For example: Circles for lunch For a 3-year-old, this was fun! I ended up with this plate by accident, and then had to take a picture of it when I realized the theme I had going. He loves the "smorgasboard" type lunches, with just a little bit of everything that he can pick and choose each bite. He immediately noticed that everything was the same shape-though he pointed out that the grapes were actually ovals. Smart kid.
Another example: Peanut Butterfly Sandwich
Why not take something very ordinary-like the classic PB&J, banana, and carrot lunch and make it just a little more fun? I always cut the sandwich into four smaller sandwiches, but this time did it perpendicularly instead of diagonally. The half banana became the body, and the obligatory carrot sticks antennae. Just to test it out, I put it down in front of aforementioned smart 3-year-old, and he immediately said, "Mommy, that's silly! My sandwich is a butterfly!" He had fun deciding which antennae and wing to eat first, and we talked about the different colors of butterflies while we ate. Success.
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