Mealtime is one of those times where I always hold my breath a little. Will today be the day my kids finally embrace the wonders of kale and thank me for my persistence and wisdom? Or will there be an epic meltdown because I inadvertently set out the Minnie spoon rather than the Frozen one and, ohmahgawd, everybody knows oatmeal can only be digested with Elsa at the helm?!?!
So, I’m always looking for ways to make mealtime more fun for them and, by proxy, less stressful for me. Because, as we all know, a happy (ahem, distracted) kid is often much more amenable to healthy options…
Here are seventeen inexpensive ideas to make mealtime fun that may buy you a couple of minutes of peace and quiet. (A woman can dream, can’t she?)
More Fun Food Gadgets:
17 Products that Make Mealtime Fun for Kids (& Easier for Moms)
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Arthur Boiled Egg Cup Holder
I know boiled eggs aren't as much of a thing here as they are in, say, the UK, but don't you think your kids would get on board if they came in a little knight suit complete with an eating spoon? Tallyho!
Buy it: Amazon for $8.99
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Fun Kids' Plates to Encourage Heathy Eating
Deciding which plate to use is a serious matter around our house, and I have a feeling if any of these came home, things would start to get real. My son would go ga-ga over the construction plate, I would go ga-ga dressing up the Ms. Food Face dinner plate, the kids could learn about healthy portion sizes with the MyPlate Section Plate, and I bet there'd be a few minutes of quiet as they worked their way through the maze with the Dinner Winner plate.
Buy it: Construction Plate at Uncommon Goods for $14.95; Food Face dinner plate on Amazon for $13.21; MyPlate at Super Healthy Kids for $7.95; Dinner Winner plate on Amazon for $13.12
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Lunch Bugs Sandwich Bags
What kid doesn't love a disgusting bug? Especially one that's squished right into her food. She'll be laughing so hard she won't even remember to complain about the tomatoes and lettuce you snuck onto her sandwich.
Buy it: PopDeluxe for $6.25
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Paper Disguises Paper Placemats
You're headed to lunch with a friend with the kiddo in tow, and you have BIG things to talk about. You need something highly distracting like this set of Paper Disguise placemats from Hester and Cook. Your kids get to color and pretend to be superheroes while you get to relax and pretend you're just a regular ole adult having a conversation.
Buy it: Hester and Cook for $29
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Drinking Glasses
Eyeglasses that work as a straw? I'm not kidding when I say I just bought these for every member of my family (extended family included). Seriously, I'm not kidding.
Buy it: The Container Store for $3.99
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Fun Bites
Every kid knows food tastes better when it's tiny. But, who has the time (or patience) to cut up their sandwiches into little squares? Fun Bites does all the work for you and even has a variety of shapes (heart, triangles) so you can get the bite sizes that taste just right.
Buy it: Fun Bites for $9.99
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PhillUp Cup
Anytime my kids can do something themselves they are a million times more likely to continue to do it. Which is exactly what the PhillUp cup has hit upon; your kids' cups hang on the fridge so staying hydrated becomes their (very important) responsibility, and you get to relish in a sippy-cup-free counter top.
Fund it: Kickstarter for $8
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Pick Ease
I've always thought food tastes better off of a toothpick (that's why I love those little Crock-Pot hot dogs), so I can only imagine how psyched my kids would be to eat their lunch off of these Pick-Ease picks. So psyched I might even be able to slip in some new foods amidst all the excitement. (If they would just give salmon a try, I KNOW they'd love it!)
Buy it: Pick-Ease for $8.99
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Airplane Food Placemats
As a kid I thought the height of sophistication (and excitement) was going out to dinner and eating off of paper placemats. Now I know I was totally wrong. It's going out to dinner and eating off of paper placemats that can be turned into colorful airplanes.
Buy it: Pop Deluxe for $9.99
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Kid Funwares Chew Chew Train Place Setting
We spend a lot of our time around here discussing the finer points of trains---what sound they make, the different colors they can be, how to tell Thomas and Percy apart (I have no idea)---so I can only imagine the dinner conversation that would take place around this seemingly normal looking train that converts into a full dinner set. (My son's head just exploded.)
Buy it: Train Place Setting for $8.99
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Squeasy Snacker
My kids are starting to get older, but their passion for fruit and veggie pouches hasn't waned. (What is it about those pouches?) I think I'd feel much better about the whole ordeal if we were using these Squeasy Snackers where I can control what actually goes into the pouch. (Spinach smoothies for everyone!)
Buy it: Squeasy Gear for $12.99
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My Fruity Faces
I feel like my daughter would either become totally obsessed with her fruits and veggies if I added these Monster Munchie fruit stickers or become so terrified the mere mention of the word "carrot" would send her screaming from the table. I think we'll ease in with the Dora the Explorer set...
Buy it: My Fruity Faces for $4.95
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Star Kids Snack & Play Travel Tray
I'd like to say that we eat all of our meals at home, sitting at the kitchen table, but the stains in my car tell a different story. For those times when your kids have to eat on the go, this handy tray keeps their food all in one place, is totally awesome because it's a different experience (remember how exciting TV trays were?), and keeps your car (slightly) less messy.
Buy it: Toys R Us for $19.99
