Pretend Beach Day Snacks

This post is part of the Keepin’ It Fresh with Chilean Grapes campaign, in paid partnership with Fruits From Chile.

We have had SO MANY rainy days this spring – and all this time being stuck inside is making me crave beach time in a major way.

kacie barnes and son at beach

 

But for now, the only beach time I’m getting is a pretend beach day at home with the kiddos. Womp womp.

 

It’s a good way to switch things up though!

I thought it would be fun to make some beach themed snacks, too. Fruit is always a top choice when you can go to the real beach since it’s so hydrating.

Grapes contain about 90% water!

And since we’ve gotta slice them until our kids are at least 4 years old (to prevent choking), they seemed like the perfect fruit to use for a snack activity for the kids. And, my kids just love grapes. 🙂

As a dietitian, I love grapes for their high nutritional value. Grapes are a rich, natural source of polyphenols, which protect the health and function of our cells. Grapes are also a good source of vitamin K, copper, and many of the B vitamins.

beach snack activity with grapes

Beach Day at Home Activities

You can honestly spend a whole morning or afternoon pretending to be at the beach! Here are some of our favorite things to do:

  • put on bathing suits, cover ups, and hats
  • play with kinetic sand
  • set up a pouring station with some beach toys (or even do it in the bathtub!)
  • play with a beach ball
  • make a cardboard tube octopus
  • draw beach pictures
  • take a ride in a “sailboat” (the laundry basket)
  • seashell hunt – hide some seashells for them to find (or print and cut out pictures of them if you don’t have any!)

 And of course, no fun day at home can be complete without snacks!

grape snack activity

“Keepin’ It Fresh with Chilean Grapes”

Most of the grapes you’ll find this time of year are from Chile, since their seasons are opposite ours in the U.S.

Learn more here.

And they’re so good! The ones we got to make these snacks were nice and crisp and juicy.

Reminder on how to wash your fresh fruit: Whether you are shopping in the supermarket for produce, having it delivered or picking it up, the rules for cleaning your produce haven’t changed. It’s simple. Wash. Your. Produce. Just wash it like you always would under cool running water. No special cleaning products necessary.

Are you ready for some fun beach themed snacking now??

Under the Sea: PB & Grape Fish

healthy fun snack idea

I think you can probably tell just by looking how to make these! Nothing complicated here. This is the step by step:

  1. Start with the fish body – I used brown rice cakes, but you could easily use a small tortilla, English Muffin, or bread (using a cookie cutter or drinking glass to make a circle). Then cut out a triangle wedge for his mouth, that will become his tail piece.
  2. Slice grapes lengthwise into quarters. Spread on a layer of peanut butter (or cream cheese), then let your little one decorate with grapes as “scales.”
  3. We used a blueberry for an eye, but you could use anything you have on hand. A raisin, a cheerio…you can find something to make it work!

On the Beach: Fruity Palm Trees

grape palm tree snack

How cute is this?? It was so easy, too. Your toddler is going to love making these little trees.

  1. First, slice a banana in half lengthwise (like you want to make it thinner, not shorter).
  2. You may also need to slice it in half crosswise depending on the size of your plate – I did have to slice mine that way too.
  3. Quarter the green grapes to make the leaves on top.
  4. Slice red grapes in half to be the coconuts!
  5. I also added some coconut chips as the “sand” to build on the tropical beach theme. Also, it adds a fat source to make this a more filling snack.
beach snacks for kids

Have a picky eater?

I know these types of snack activities take a little more effort to put together, but they are really helpful for picky eaters.

When we make food fun, picky eaters are much more likely to get interested and want to explore new foods.

Even if they don’t eat something new, it’s progress for them to get more comfortable with that food by touching it and smelling it.

So take the pressure off for them to eat it, and let them have fun!

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Kacie Barnes holding an apple
Hi, I’m Kacie!

I’m a mom of two and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. I offer e-guides and e-books (go to my Shop page), workshops, brand partnerships, and nutrition counseling. Check out my blog for nutrition and feeding tips for your little ones.

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This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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