There are many celebrations in a year! From holiday celebrations to birthdays! A celebration is the perfect time to get together and have fun. It is also a great opportunity to encourage a healthier lifestyle. Celebrations can be exciting, creative and healthy! When planning for food, ensure that healthy options are always included such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and water. Some examples include:
- Fruit kabobs – Skewers, cut fresh fruit like grapes, strawberries, and pineapple for the kids to use to make and enjoy a fruit kabob.
- Fruit pizza – A thin crust (preferably whole grain), fat-free or low-fat yogurt “icing” and fresh fruit make this a tasty treat!
- Popcorn party – Popcorn is a special yummy snack. Season it with herbs, spices, or cinnamon to flavor this healthy snack.
- Raw cut veggies like carrots and celery with hummus.
- Use cookie cutters to make sandwiches more fun.
- Here is a list of healthy snacks that you can also use for your child’s school.
Remember that your celebration can focus on fun not food. Some examples on non-food activities:
- Dancing, ask the little ones to suggest songs for the playlist to be played during the party.
- Board games or card games of their choice.
- Show and tell, let them bring something from home to share with their friends.
- Create a special craft based on the celebration theme such as decorating bags or pillow cases for trick or treating for Halloween and decorate plastic eggs with paint for Easter or Spring.
- Go on a scavenger hunt. If the weather allows it, go on an outdoor scavenger hunt, find things around the garden or park, for younger children point out different parts of the plants such as stems, flowers and different shapes of leaves. If you end up having an indoor scavenger hunt, look for things from around the house that work with the theme of the celebration ( for example, a red ornament, something very soft).
