I know by now I am probably starting to seem repetitive, but the way to keep kids interested is by involvement. By including your children in the whole process makes for a fun activity. I usually have one kid helping prep in the kitchen, one setting up the table (including name place markers) and the little one getting drinks for everyone.
Have the kids choose a new recipe each week to try from a healthy cookbook, and try to make the meal look like the picture. The artist of the family will really get into the garnishes at the end.
Plan out a week’s menu and let the kids choose what you will have for dinner each day from that menu. This works well for kids that need to be in the know. If they know what’s coming, you can avoid the whining in the kitchen when you break the news to them what’s on the menu for the night.
Cut everything possible into cute shapes. Sandwiches, cheese, deli meats. You can even use a cookie cutter to fry an egg! The little ones love sandwich shapes, especially when they are Mickey Mouse or a heart. You can grab them here from Amazon for under $8!.
Theme nights are always fun and great for weekend nights. Cook a theme meal, dress up, and talk about that theme during dinner. A few of our favorites are Hawaiian nights and Mexican nights. It’s usually Mexican Monday or taco Tuesday but sometimes I like to change it up by doing Meatloaf Monday but it doesn’t always go over well.
Have indoor picnics with disposable plates, utensils, blanket on the floor, and of course healthier picnic type foods. Our favorite place to picnic is on our bed!
Mix it up by making an entire meal with only finger foods. NO utensils allowed. That is how they eat in some countries and you can use this dinner experience as a cultural teachable moment.
I sometimes have the kids decorate for the meal, (or as I’m making it) make placemats to decorate, place cards, signs, menu’s or anything else you can think of.
If you are stuck in a rut of a boring dinner conversation, start a questions basket for meal time. (what would your three wishes be, what is your favorite color, what is your favorite outfit, etc) Sooner or later you won’t need the basket.
Have breakfast for dinner and eat in your jammies. We love doing that on rainy days and playing games or creating a fort to watch movies in.
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