3 Ways to Play in Food Without the Mess

Speech-language pathologists often recommend kids explore food by getting messy—sinking hands deep into yogurt, painting with pudding or squishing avocados to make “hand-made” guacamole. For kids hesitant to engage in messy play, however, or parents who can’t embrace it every day, try these three tips for encouraging kids to explore food. It’s often the first step to learning to eat new foods: Mosaic pepper pictures: Bell peppers are one food hesitant eaters might resist touching. Their tactile system might recoil at the slightly wet interior of the pepper. Cut peppers into strips and remove any excess seeds, then pat the interior dry with a paper towel. Then chop strips into pea-sized squares. Try a variety of colors: red, yellow, green, orange and even purple! Now, download a simple black and white SLP coloring sheet from Pinterest and show your kids how to fill in designs with pepper pieces, as if creating a mosaic. Need peppers to stay in place a bit better? Ask them to touch the pepper to a clean, damp sponge—or better yet—give each piece a lick. Interacting with a new food in a non-threatening way builds familiarity and trust. It’s essential to establishing a positive relationship with new foods, especially vegetables. String beads of food: Preschool-age children seem to adore threading dry pasta onto garlands, plus it’s easy for hesitant eaters, given the dry nature of the pasta beads. However, choosing a slightly moist food takes this activity to th...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech Therapy Authors: Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Autism Spectrum Disorder Feeding Disorders Swallowing Disorders Source Type: blogs