Harvest "Snack"-tivities for Kids

By Katina Lewis

Harvest time is a wonderful time. There is all that wonderful bounty of food stuff straight from your hard working garden. What can your kids do to help with the fall harvest? The harvest is all about reaping the benefits of the garden. That includes snack time. It’s time for some “snack”tivities.

What’s a "Snack"-tivity?

It is simply an activity that involves a snack. You can and are encouraged to include the kids in making this snack. It can help foster independence and creativity. It gives you and your kids a chance to work on something as a family too.

Apple Chips

Apples are a nutritious snack. But are they boring to some kids? If they are, then try apple chips. Apple chips are thin dried pieces of apple. They are often dried in a dehydrator but can be made using a conventional oven.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Peel and core the apples. Slice the apples as thin as you can. You or Older kids who are able to use a knife can do this for younger kids. They should be no more than an eighth of an inch in thickness for best results and drying. Consistency, however, is the key to the drying process.

You may want to add the apple chips to a bowl of lemon juice for a few minutes. This will prevent the apples from browning. You can at this time add in spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg. This adds an extra layer of flavor to the apple chips.

Place the apple chips on a foil-lined cookie sheet in one layer. Do not overlap any of the chips. This can cause them to not dry properly. Cook the apple chips for one to two hours, or until completely dried. You should allow the chips to cool on a wire rack before serving.

A Bread Cornucopia

A cornucopia is a great harvest icon. It signifies the abundance of a harvest. Have your kids celebrate this traditional Thanksgiving and harvest icon by making a bread cornucopia.

You will need some aluminum foil and some refrigerated bread stick dough, the kind you get in a can. Make a cone shape from the foil and stuff it with more aluminum foil to help keep its shape. The kids can really get into this part of the process. You may want to curl the end of the cone once it is made to simulate the cornucopia.

Take the bread stick dough and separate each of the pieces. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. Start wrapping the dough around the cone shape until completely covered. You might want to coat the cornucopia with an egg wash to make it have a glaze. An egg wash is simply an egg mixed with a little water.

Bake the cornucopia at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until it is golden brown. Once the bread is cooled, you can add root vegetables such as carrots or add potatoes to it. You can also use it as a centerpiece if you’d like. Add some fall flowers or some winter squash to it.

Shucking the Corn

If you grow your own corn, or the kids love to eat corn on the cob, then shucking the corn is a great activity for the kids. Once the corn is shucked, the kids can have a great snack.

The typical way to shuck the corn is to start by breaking off the end piece that binds the husk together. Then continue by pulling off the husk pieces. Don’t forget to take off as much of the “hair” as possible.

Corn Husk Dolls

If you save some of the husks and “hair” you can make corn husk dolls later. Put the husks together at the ends with some string. Hang them up to dry a few days. It may take up to two weeks to dry in more humid conditions. Once they are dry, you can start making the corn husk dolls.

Take the ends of a few of the husks, about three or four of them and tie one end together with string. This makes your body of the corn husk doll. Take the other end and loop it over on itself to make the rounded head. Tie to the body. Then add arms and legs and “hair” to the corn husk doll.

Harvest Fun

The growing season has ended but the fun hasn’t. There is still plenty to do to celebrate the harvest. With these above harvest activities, the kids will be sure to love this celebration.

© Doityourself.com 2006