Are you struggling to get your picky eater interested in mealtime? I’ve been there and know how challenging it can be. With the right approach, you can turn this stressful time into a fun, engaging activity.
The key is to involve your child in the process, making them feel like they’re part of a game. Children are naturally curious and love playing games. By integrating this into their eating routine, you can make mealtime an exciting event they look forward to.
In this article, we will explore 7 exciting games that you can use to make mealtime fun for your picky eaters. These aren’t just any games; they’re specially designed to engage your child’s senses and pique their interest in food.
Now let’s dive into the first game that will help turn your child’s mealtime frown upside down!
1. Food Face Challenge
One of the most effective ways to engage a picky eater is to make eating visually appealing. A food face challenge could be your starting point.
Ask your child to create a face using different pieces of their meal. You can have cherry tomatoes for eyes, a baby carrot for the nose, and a banana slice for the mouth. This allows them to interact with their food in an exciting, creative way.
The key is to encourage them to play with their food (yes, you read that right!) This may seem counterintuitive, as we’ve always been taught not to play with our food. But in this case, it’s a fun and effective way to get your child interested in eating.
Once they’ve created their masterpiece, encourage them to eat each part of the face – one by one. This interactive game not only makes mealtime fun but also encourages your child to try different types of foods.
Here’s how you can implement this game:
- Arrange a variety of food items on your child’s plate.
- Challenge them to make a face using these items.
- Once they’ve finished, encourage them to eat each part of the face.
This game can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be. You can add more variety by including different types of fruits and vegetables. The aim is to get your child excited about mealtime and willing to try new foods.
2. Picnic Indoors
Turning mealtime into an indoor picnic can be a whimsical game that can entertain picky eaters. It’s an excellent way to break away from the routine of eating at the dining table and make mealtimes more exciting.
You can lay a picnic blanket in your living room or any other open space in your home. Arrange the food in picnic baskets or containers and invite your child’s toys to join the fun. You can even decorate the picnic area with their favorite themes or characters to make it more engaging.
This game allows children to eat in a relaxed and enjoyable environment, which can make them more open to trying different foods. It’s like having a little adventure right inside your home.
3. Ingredient Mystery Box
This game allows your child to uncover the ingredients of their meal, making them more invested in the eating process.
Start by preparing a meal with various ingredients. Place each ingredient in a separate small box or container. As your child eats, ask them to guess the hidden ingredient in their meal. Once they guess correctly, reveal the ingredient from the corresponding box.
This game makes eating a fun activity and helps improve your child’s sense of taste and smell. It encourages them to pay attention to what they’re eating and identify different flavors.
Here’s how you can play this game:
- Prepare a meal with various ingredients.
- Place each ingredient in a separate small box or container.
- As your child eats, ask them to guess the hidden ingredient in their meal.
- Once they guess correctly, reveal the ingredient from the corresponding box.
Incorporating games like these into your child’s mealtime routine can transform their eating habits. It shifts their focus from being resistant to food, to being curious and excited about it.
4. Storytelling at Mealtime
A fantastic way to make mealtime fun is to introduce storytelling. This game involves creating a story around the food on your child’s plate, making the eating process an exciting adventure.
You could tell a tale about brave green peas traveling across the mountain of mashed potatoes to reach the river of gravy. Or you could narrate a story about little carrot sticks who are friends with tomato slices and they go on adventures together.
The key is to involve your child in the storytelling process. Invite them to suggest what happens next or even create their own stories. As they get engrossed in the story, they’ll likely start eating without even realizing it.
Storytelling at mealtime makes eating fun, it also helps in developing your child’s creativity and imagination.
5. Food Bingo
Food Bingo involves creating a bingo card with pictures or names of different foods that your child needs to eat during the week.
Each time your child eats a food from the card, they get to mark off that square. The goal is to get a “bingo” by eating a row of foods either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Creating a visual representation of their food intake can motivate your child to try different types of foods. It makes mealtime less about the act of eating and more about achieving a goal.
6. Mystery Tasting
A mystery tasting game can add an element of surprise and fun to mealtimes. This game can be a great way to introduce your picky eater to new foods in a fun and exciting manner.
Here’s how it works: blindfold your child and let them taste different foods. Ask them to guess what they just tasted. You can give them hints or use foods they are familiar with initially, and gradually introduce new ones.
This game is not just eating, it’s exploring different flavors, textures, and smells. It can make your child more open to trying new foods without the preconceived notion of what it looks like.
The goal is not to trick your child into eating something they don’t like; it’s making them comfortable with the idea of trying new foods. Always respect their preferences and never force them to eat something they don’t want to.
7. Cooking Together
Cooking together can be a delightful game that can make mealtime fun for picky eaters. When children are involved in the cooking process, they may feel more inclined to try the food they helped prepare.
Start with simple recipes that your child can easily participate in. Baking cookies, making a pizza, or tossing a salad are all good starting points. Let them add the toppings on the pizza or mix the salad ingredients. The more involved they are, the more they’re likely to enjoy the meal.
This activity gives children a sense of accomplishment and makes them curious about the food they’ve created. It’s an excellent opportunity to teach them about different ingredients, their tastes, and how they come together to make a meal.
During this process, encourage your children to taste the ingredients. However, make sure it’s safe for them – raw eggs or uncooked meat should be off-limits.
Involving children in cooking can also teach them vital life skills such as following instructions, measuring ingredients, and understanding the importance of healthy eating. So, put on those aprons and turn your kitchen into a fun cooking playground!
Embracing the Journey
At the heart of all these games and strategies lies one crucial element: patience. It’s essential to understand that every child is unique, and what works for one might not work for another. The journey to transform a picky eater isn’t about quick fixes, but a gradual process of introducing variety, making mealtime fun, and fostering a positive relationship with food.
As parents, our role isn’t just to feed our children but to guide them. It’s about teaching them to enjoy different flavors, understand their bodies better, and make healthier choices. The games we’ve discussed are tools to help you in this journey, not magic wands that will instantly turn your little ones into adventurous eaters.
Remember, it’s not just the destination (getting them to eat), but also the journey (making mealtime enjoyable). So keep experimenting, stay patient, and don’t forget to have fun along the way!
