{Dinosaur Birthday Party Food}

Dinosaur Party Food

For Herbivores, Carnivores, and Sweetivores

Sweet Pea loved her dinosaur birthday party for her 4th birthday! And I had lots of fun creating crazy dinosaur-themed food for the party menu!

For the cake (yes, it did take me all day! and no, I'm not good at cakes at all!) I pretty much followed the directions in this pin but added spikes from small triangles of cake that I attached with frosting blobs. I didn't bother printing the template and just did it freehand instead, which may have been a mistake but oh well! To decorate it, I used colourful confetti sprinkles, a spot of frosting and a candy dragée for the eye, a line of frosting and mini chocolate chips for the mouth, and brown mini M&Ms for the toes [affiliate links]. This was my first time making a shaped cake and I have to say that cutting the cake to make the dinosaur shape was pretty easy. It was frosting it that was hard for me, but I always seem to have trouble with frosting.

Some of the other treats we had include:

Dino Dig Cups

Layered jello cups with crumbled chocolate Oreo cookies on top, topped off with a gummy dinosaur candy and some watermelon jelly beans as dinosaur eggs [affiliate links].

Dino Poop

Gross, but let's face it - four year olds love gross! And they love marshmallows! So these chocolate covered marshmallow treats were Sweet Pea's special birthday party food request. And I'm sure real dinosaur poop wasn't nearly this pretty!

Herbivore Platter

Gotta get some veggies in them, right?

Dinosaur Cheese Plate

My original plan was to make dinosaur-shaped sandwiches with this adorable dinosaur sandwich cutter I got specially for the party (similar but not quite the same as this one [affiliate link]). But as it turned out, our bread is smaller than the cutter, so I had to scrap that plan at the last minute and make normal sandwiches and dinosaur shaped cheese slices instead!

Carnivore Rolls

Our little carnivore loves sausage rolls, so we have to find a way to fit them in to any party theme! So carnivore rolls it is!

Dinosaur Nests

A handful of coloured marshmallows (I did mention that Sweet Pea's special request was to have lots of marshmallows at her party!) in mini silicone cupcake holders [affiliate link] made easy-peasy nests full of dinosaur eggs.

If you have a dinosaur lover, too, you might also like these posts:

Decorating Dinosaur Eggs

Rainbow Dinosaur Dig

DIY Dinosaur Costume

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{Edible Sparklers}

Edible Sparklers:

Pizzazz for Your Party Table!

"Mummy, I can't take my eyes off them, they're just so loveable!" 

If you're looking for a little pizzazz to dress up your party table, these edible 'sparklers' were so easy to make - they literally took 5 minutes - and are an easy party treat for kids to make! We made them for New Year's Eve, but they would be perfect for any fireworks night such as the Fourth of July or Canada Day, or for kids' birthday parties.

To make them, get some pretzel sticks or bread sticks (we liked the salty pretzel sticks combined with the sweet topping - mmmm!) and dip the top half in melted chocolate (see my tips for melting chocolate here, as it can easily burn). 

Then we quickly rolled them in various sprinkles. (Do not use coloured sugar as it will just dissolve in the warm chocolate.) I had a few gold sprinkles left, which I combined with some confetti sprinkles, some star sprinkles, [affiliate links] and some normal rainbow sprinkles, mixed together on a shallow plate. I love how the combination turned out! 

Then lay them out on some baking paper or wax paper, spaced apart, and refrigerate for a little while until the chocolate hardens.

They really remind me of real fireworks!

I first saw the idea of edible sparklers over at Nurturestore, but hers are a bit different - made from chocolate fingers. Have a look and see which will work for you. 

These are definitely going to be our new party food staple!

Don't miss out on new ideas!

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{Cooking With Kids - 10 Christmas Recipes for Preschoolers}

10 Christmas Recipes To Make With Preschoolers:

Preschoolers love to help in the kitchen, and Christmas is the perfect time to make some recipes that your little ones can help make and proudly serve to guests! Try these this year:

Christmas Cookie Pops from Nurturestore

Peanut Butter Reindeer Cookies from Bakergirl

Red and Green Layered Jello Dessert from JDaniel4'sMom

Edible Christmas Ornaments from Red Ted Art

Easy 'Gingerbread' Houses from Red Ted Art

Molasses Crinkle Gingerbread Cookies from Nothing If Not Intentional

Spritzgebäck German Christmas Cookies from Glittering Muffins

Christmas Peanut Butter Blossoms from We Made That

Nutella Christmas Smores from Pint-Sized Treasures

Cookies in a Jar For Santa from Make It Do

You might also be interested in:

Princess Pops - party treats

Fruity Strawberry Banana Creamsicles - healthy, sweet treat

Gruffalo Crumble - kid-made, cozy weeknight dessert

Easy, Homemade 'Candy Canes' - great little gift for classmates

{Princess Pops}

Mama Pea Pod was voted in the Top 10 for Red Tricycle's Most Awesome awards for Birthday Party Ideas! Thanks so much! x

Princess Pea just turned 6 (ahh!), and we celebrated this year with a Princess and the Pea party. It was the party of her dreams, pink and girly! One of the treats she served her royal guests was these 'Princess Pops'. They are so easy to make, and a pretty twist on the traditional smartie-on-a-marshmallow party treat my mum always made for birthdays when we were kids....

{Sweet Summer Treat: Fruity Strawberry Banana Creamsicles}

These homemade fruity creamsicles are my kids' favourite summer treat and a great way to involve kids in 'cooking' in the kitchen! They're quick and easy to make (my 3 year old made these ones) and full of real fruit....

{Gruffalo Crumble Recipe}

Like Mama Pea Pod for birthday party ideas? Please consider throwing a vote our way in the Red Tricycle Most Awesome awards for Birthday Party Ideas! Thanks so much! x

Sweet Pea turned 3 this weekend! 

We celebrated with a Gruffalo birthday party! Details to come, but right now I have to share the recipe for the Gruffalo Crumble we served for dessert (naturally, with owl ice-cream on the side).


This recipe was so easy and quick, I think it could easily become a weeknight dessert at our house. And definitely one that the kids can make. And soooo delicious - for once, something that the whole family agrees on!

Gruffalo Crumble

You will need:
5 bananas (peeled and sliced thickly)
350g (12 oz) frozen (or fresh) berries (I used mixed red berries)
250g (9 oz) cookie crumbs (I used plain digestives smashed up, but graham crumbs would work; I think gingersnaps would be good to try, too!)
140g (5 oz) brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
140g (5 oz) melted butter

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
• Stir the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon into the crumbs until well coated.
• Lay the bananas and berries in a shallow casserole dish and top with the crumb mixture.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until it starts to brown.
• Let stand at least 10 minutes, then serve with owl ice-cream ;-)

"Now my tummy's beginning to rumble!"

If you're looking for Gruffalo things to make and do, you might also be interested in these posts:

DIY Gruffalo Window Cling Stickers
Gruffalo Birthday Party
DIY Gruffalo Puppet Theatre

{Easy Homemade Candy Canes}

We made easy peasy 'candy canes' this week for Princess Pea to share with her kindergarten class. These were fun to make (at least the first 6 or so were fun - after about 18 she was getting weary! lol) and are a great kid-made gift for preschoolers to make, too, as it's just like playing with playdough - except it's edible!

These are not your traditional hard minty candy canes. We made these out of marzipan! And because marzipan (also known as almond paste) stays fresh for a long time, these can be made well ahead of time (check the expiry date on your marzipan). Or, if you're like me and do everything at the last possible minute, that works too, as these are fast and easy to make.

All you need is a stick of marzipan - that's it! We bought white and red marzipan because it's relatively easy to get in lots of colours here, but it would be easy to make the red yourself just by adding a few drops of food colouring and kneading (much like dying homemade play dough). (You should be able to get marzipan/almond paste in the baking section of your supermarket, at least around Christmas.)

How much marzipan you need depends on how many candy canes you plan to make, but however much white you use, you need about a third of that amount in red.

All you do is squish the marzipan up (again, just like play dough) to soften it, then roll it out into sticks. For each stick we used a ball of white marzipan about the size of a large marble, and about a third of that in red. Make your white stick about candy cane thickness, and then roll out your red stick to about 1 1/2 times the length of your white stick (since you're using about 1/3 of the amount of marzipan for the red stick, it will be much skinnier than the white one). In the picture below, the red is actually a bit longer than it needed to be, but we just pinched off the end and put it back into the ball.

Then wrap the red around the white stick and roll it some more until the stick becomes smooth again and bend the top over. Leave to air dry and harden a bit.

Voila! Cute and tasty homemade candy canes to share with your friends!

{Picky Eaters: How To Encourage Your Child To Try Different Foods}

Is your child a picky eater? Or does he/she eat everything you put on a plate?

My kids lie somewhere in between. While they definitely don't eat a lot (I'm talking microscopic portions), they do eat a wide variety of foods. Some of their favourites might be deemed 'unusual' by others, and even just plain 'gross' by some of their peers. Adults are often quite surprised by what our girls do like to eat.


Some of their more interesting 'thumbs up' foods include octopus, shrimp, squid (they LOVE all three of these!), olives (at the age of 1 Princess Pea and her little friend once scoffed a whole bowl of them at an adult party before any of us noticed what they were up to!), curry (this was a particular favourite when they were babies - mild, of course - as you can see in the photo below), goat cheese (another baby favourite - Princess Pea ate it every day - though now she thinks it's 'stinky'), chicken liver, pâté (another one they both go CRAZY for!), and gizzards (actually, any meat from any part of any animal - I've got a couple of true carnivores on my hands here!).

They also love fish, and especially broccoli (their absolute favourite food aside from sweets - preferably made by Daddy). Though these are not unusual foods for adults, many children seem to turn up their noses at them.


Of course, there are also things they dislike. Lots of things, actually. Sweet Pea can't stand eggs. Has never liked them. Princess Pea hates lasagne, sweet-and-sour sauce, capers, and sour cream. And, of course, as with most little children, they dislike various foods on certain days depending on whatever quirky reason they come up with that day. (Princess Pea is definitely the quirkier one in this regard.)


Just how did we manage to get our kids to eat and enjoy all these 'weird' things? Well, here's a few tips for encouraging your child to try eating different foods:

• 1. Start early. Don't assume that babies won't like particular foods, especially those with strong flavours. As soon as they're old enough to eat a certain food, try it. My experience is that babies love strong flavours like goat cheese, curry, and garlic.
• 2. Make meals fun and for the whole family. At our house, we eat our meals all together around the table, with no other distractions. It's a time for story-telling, language games, silliness, and enjoyment of our food and our company. Kids are more open to trying something new when they are in a positive, relaxed mood.
• 3. Just because you don't like a food, doesn't mean your child won't - unless he/she hears you talking about how horrible it is! Then, chances are, your child will come to the same conclusion.
• 4. Have your child develop an appreciation of food by commenting on it as you buy, prepare and eat it. From "oh, look what lovely peppers these are" at the veggie stand to talking about where milk comes from - your child will learn to appreciate the care that went into growing and preparing the food.
• 5. Have your child help with food preparation. Even toddlers can help by 'making' the salad by turning the salad spinner or stirring the dressing. Kids are more likely to eat food that they helped to prepare.
• 6. Take your child grocery shopping. Ok, so maybe not all the time, and preferably just one child at a time to save your sanity. But going with you to the market to help 'pick out' the food gives your child ownership of the meal and is another way that he/she will be more likely to eat it. Let your child choose which vegetables to buy for dinner that day, or to choose an unusual fruit he/she has never tried before. 
• 7. Don't order from the kids' menu at restaurants. We almost always just order from the regular menu. Depending on how hungry they are, we either just get extra plates to share our meals with them, or order a regular appetizer (or half-portion entree if the restaurant will do it) for them to share together. (It's also usually a much healthier option than the kids' menu offers.)*

For more great tips from readers and other bloggers on how to encourage your child to eat all sorts of foods, click here and join the conversation!


What is the most unusual thing your child likes to eat? 


*As an interesting side observation, I've noticed that it's quite rare to see a kids' menu at restaurants in Europe, and kids in Europe I think tend to eat a wider range of 'adult' foods. Possible connection? My opinion is that if chicken nuggets and fries aren't ever on offer, kids are perfectly happy to eat salmon and lentils.

{Toddler Chores for Little Helpers}

Toddler Chores for Little Helpers:

Household Jobs Your Toddler Can Help With

 

Toddlers love to help out around the house, have you noticed? While their 'help' isn't always quite that, there are lots of household tasks that toddlers can do that are, at least, not unhelpful ;-) And doing 'big person jobs' always gives them such a sense of pride and boost of confidence! As Sweet Pea often says, 'I a Big Girl now!'

We're making a 'chores' system around our house for the girls. (I'm using the word 'chores' very loosely! Obviously, I'm not enforcing Cinderella practices around our home!) Princess Pea (aged 5) is certainly at an age when she can and should have some responsibilities at home. Aside from teaching her a sense of responsibility, having 'jobs' teaches her practical life skills, gross and fine motor skills, problem-solving and pre-mathematical skills, and - perhaps most importantly - reminds her that she is part of a family whose members help each other out. Having responsibilities around the house teaches her that it's important not only to do things for herself, but to do things for the 'greater good' of the family as a whole. 

I'll be writing more about our chore system and the jobs that she has in another post. But, of course, everything that big sister is doing, little sister wants to do, too. So I've been trying to come up with ideas of 'jobs' that 2 year old Sweet Pea can do - preferably ones that don't end up just making more work for me, as toddler 'help' is prone to do!

Thinking back to when Princess Pea was her age, here are some of the things she liked to help out with around the house that were actually helpful to some extent. 

Stirring the pancake batter

Stirring anything is always fun for toddlers and preschoolers - let them help with select food preparation that involves stirring (of course, use common sense regarding which items are suitable for your toddler to help stir - you may not want them stirring anything hot; raw eggs, etc.). 'Stirring' the knob on the salad spinner [affiliate link] is another favourite kitchen job in our house.

Picking the cherries from the garden tree

Toddlers love to pick things in the garden - anything from fruit, to vegetables, to herbs, to weeds -- you just have to show them which ones they can pick, and which ones they can't. They also love watering - consider making them one of these DIY watering cans to help them avoid drowning your flowers, or get them a cute kid watering can [affiliate link] of their very own.

Sweeping the balcony

Sweeping, vacuuming, dusting - any kind of cleaning that doesn't involve cleaning products can be done by a toddler. Ok, so you'll almost certainly still have to do it again yourself afterwards, but at least they're probably not creating more dirt while helping - and it keeps them occupied alongside you while you work.

Sorting the laundry

Toddlers can actually be quite helpful with the laundry. Matching socks, sorting clean laundry into piles according to who it belongs to, handing you items to hang, passing clothes pegs [affiliate link] - my two love all kinds of laundry tasks (they even engage in imaginary laundry play)! And it's one of the most educational 'chores' they can have, what with all the sorting and categorizing, and colours to discuss, etc. Matching and lining up shoes is another great clothes-related toddler job.

And, of course, there's always 'invented tasks'. These can come in handy when you don't really want them to help, but they're insisting. I must admit, I'm not above making up 'really important jobs' now and then, like "Here, you stir the cup of water and I'll stir the cup of coffee". Sometimes it's just easier to let them help with a fake job.

*One tip - As much as toddlers love to help with grown-up tasks, I've found that's it's never a good idea to inadvertantly tell a toddler that you *need* them to help with something. True to their toddler sensibilities, this always seems to be a surefire way to garner a negative response!

*Finally, I think this is obvious, but just in case - toddlers and preschoolers should always be supervised in any activity!

What sorts of tasks do your toddlers like to 'help' with?

The Happy Housewife has a great printable list of age-appropriate household 'chores' that kids of all ages can help out with.

Looking for tasks a preschooler can do? Check out this list of 10 household jobs suitable for preschoolers from Housekeeping.org. 

You can find more suggestions for letting your toddler 'help' at home (with a bit of humour - which you'll need if you are letting your toddler do housework!) at Glittering Muffins: 12 Ways to Include Your Toddler in Everyday House Work.

And check all the fun ways that Jamie at Hands On: As We Grow has her son 'help' at home!

If this is your first time visiting Mama Pea Pod - welcome! Please use the buttons and labels on the right and below to take a look around, and I'd love for you to come join us over on the Mama Pea Pod Facebook community. There you'll find lots more parenting, kids' craft, and play ideas shared daily. If you like what you see here, please consider subscribing to receive weekly email updates on new posts.

You might also want to check out some of my other popular parenting posts:
5 Tips for Telling Your Preschooler How Babies Are Made
Picky Eaters: Tips to Encourage Your Child to Try Different Foods
Our Chore System: Learning About Responsibility at Home
Creative 'Toys' for Kids

{The Carrot Seed - A Seed for Learning}

The Carrot Seed

A Seed for Learning

Princess Pea will soon be five (yikes!), and has been talking a lot about starting school (though she won't start until she's 6). So I've been bringing home books from school that go together as a theme that we can talk and learn about. We've been calling it 'school' - she loves to have 'school time' - it makes her feel like such a big kid! This is protected time for just her and me - Daddy Pea takes Sweet Pea to do something else, so we can have this time alone together. 

We've been having beautiful, summery weather lately, so Princess Pea and I have been making a habit a couple of times a week to sit in the garden and read and talk together after I get home from work. 

This week, we read about how plants grow.

We started by reading The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss [affiliate link]. (Thanks to Kristina at Toddler Approved for this Virtual Kids Book Club suggestion!)

Princess Pea was very interested in why the carrot isn't visible on the plant when it finally grows. We talked a lot about the parts of a plant - roots, stems, leaves, flowers, seeds - and how we can eat the different parts: carrots are roots, lettuces are leaves, peas are seeds, etc. We consulted a non-fiction book, The Seed by Christine Young [affiliate link], to see how the different parts of the plant grow and the life cycle of a plant. 

Then we reread a current fiction favourite, The Pea Blossom by Amy Lowry Poole [affiliate link], which tells the sweet story of a pea from the time it is in its pod to when it grows into a plant with pods and peas of its own, and how it inspires a sick little girl to get better.

Then we read another non-fiction book, Carrots by Gail Saunders-Smith [affiliate link]. In it, we see all the steps involved in how the carrot goes from seed to carrot to dinner. Princess Pea loves to help make dinner and after reading the book she really wanted to help cook some carrots for dinner. Unfortunately, we were out of carrots. So we had a cucumber instead. I taught her how to peel it by herself and she was so excited to be really helping!

Afterwards, we talked about who else likes to eat carrots - bunnies, of course! And we went on a bunny hunt in the garden! I had some bunny cut-outs left over from our Easter Egg Hunt party, so I hid them in the garden and she had to find them - all while hopping like a bunny! (I didn't realize it at the time, but this activity totally reminds me of the rabbit-themed Garden Hunt that Abbie from Greening Sam and Avery guest posted here on Mama Pea Pod last summer.)

Then we had a little treat - a marzipan carrot that the Easter Bunny had left!

Finally, I got her to pick the dandelions from the garden (a great way to do the weeding!) - which she used to form a letter C for carrot!

Want to join the Virtual Kids' Book Club, too?