Healthy Holiday Classroom Treats

Growing up, major holidays were a big deal in our house…but smaller holidays? Not so much. That’s why going to school and getting to celebrate ALL THE HOLIDAYS was amazing. Fast forward 20(ish) years and seems like every other month we get a note home about another class party where snacks are being requested.  Schools are waging a war on sweets so finding snacks that fit the protocol can be difficult! Enter my best friend Google and her BFF Pinterest. They have been my handy go-to guides on finding snacks that will be healthy but also fun for the kids. Here are a few ideas for holiday classroom treats to keep in mind as the school year starts.

Halloween Classroom Treats

My favorites are cheese stick ghosts, orange fruit cups with a jack-o-lantern face drawn on the top and a green Jell-O cup turned upside-down with a Frankenstein face drawn on the outside of it. *Kids can also help with the decorating of the treats!

Orange Jack-O-LanternsCheese Stick Ghosts

 

Thanksgiving Classroom Treats

Fruit or veggie turkey platters or turkey snack bags made out of a rubber glove, pretzels and M&Ms or Skittles would be hit. Also, a really cute fruit cornucopia made out of  a waffle cone, yogurt and fruit would make a good single serve snack.

Winter/Christmas Classroom Treats

An easy favorite in my house are fruit and marshmallow Grinches. Get over-sized tooth picks and stack a green grape, slice of banana, a strawberry then marshmallow on top. If you want to get real fancy you can add a Grinch face on the grape. For the older grades where kids can make their own snacks (a snack and a craft in one?! Even better!) you can have them make snowmen popcorn cups. Have a few bowls of popcorn, black sharpies, red ribbon and clear cups. Fill cups with popcorn, make a face on the outside of the cup and tie the ribbon around the middle.Christmas Classroom Treats Grinch Grapes

Valentine’s Day Classroom Treats

Bust out your miniature cookie cutters, because kids love the hearts! Pretty much any healthy food: cheese, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberries can all be cut into heart shapes. Make a kabob or put them in a bowl. Anything works! Another idea, albeit a little more time consuming is assembling a Love Robot. Put a strawberry applesauce cup upside down on top of a juice box which then sits on top of two raisin boxes. Add googly eyes and a mouth and if you want to get real fancy you can add pipe cleaner arms.

Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

The Grinch from Christmas will work or you can adjust slightly to turn it into a Cat in the Hat–marshmallow on bottom with the banana and strawberry for the hat. Another treat would be small cups filled with blue Jell-O with gummy fish tucked in for fun.

Red Fish Blue Fish Snack

Spring/Easter Classroom Treats

Fill a triangular treat bag with Goldfish crackers or Cheez-Its and tie it with a green ribbon to make a carrot. A butterfly is easy to make by getting a snack size Ziploc bag and fill half with grapes and the other half with Goldfish crackers, cinching in the middle with a clothes pin and adding pipe cleaner for antennas and googly eyes to finish it off.

So many holidays with so many choices. Just remember, Google and Pinterest can be your friend if you go in looking for exactly what you need and not pinning crazy things that you’ll “come back later” for. Because we all know…it ain’t happening!

Kendra Fernandez
Kendra lives in Derby with her husband Leonard and her two boys- Leo and Jacoby. She works in downtown Wichita but spends most of the rest of her waking hours wrangling two crazy boys. You will more than likely find them at a game or practice. Besides spending time with her family Kendra loves to read and watch Game of Thrones, HGTV marathons and the Royals! She is also very active in PTO at her sons' school and is always trying to find ways to interact with other parents.