Everyone loves a good cheese plate! This is an amazingly beautiful, easy, and fun way to conquer snack-time. Bonus for the parents, it is more economical than pre-made store-bought alternatives, not to mention a heck of a lot tastier!

Kid-Friendly Cheese Plates
Ingredients:
Cut cheeses (sliced to size for your kid’s age)
Cured meats (pepperoni, salami, Proscuitto)
Fresh fruits (grapes, berries, figs, dates, melon)
Crackers and sliced bread (so many amazing shapes and textures to play with)

Make It:
If you are making this in advance, DO NOT, add your crackers and bread to the same board as the fruit or they will get soggy. You can set these in a separate plate/bag on top in the fridge for easy help-yourself enjoyment. Or, you can separate the items in a bento box.

Choose and slice your options to match your child’s age and eating aptitude (what I mean by this is if your child is younger than 5 be mindful of chocking and cut and choose foods to suit their age).

Pick out the cheeses, bread, and fruits your child LOVES. These are supposed to be instantly appealing plates that make your life easier not plates of negotiation.

Chef’s/Mom’s Tips:
So many fun cracker shapes exist, think butterfly and hexagon and more and more (have fun!)
Don’t overload, try to keep these boards small for small children
Choose seasonal fruits and veggies (you’ll save money and they will be in peak ripeness)
Make a second one for yourself to reward all the hard work!

Tidying Tips from Tidy Dad
1. Store snacks and drinks in locations and at heights that kids are able to independently access.
2. Put out healthy snacks that you are okay with your kids eating, whenever they are hungry!
3. Store kid-friendly plates, napkins, and utensils in locations that they can access independently.
4. Invite kids to set the table and clear the table after snack time and mealtime.
5. Invest in some colorful and fun cloth wipes so that kids can independently clean their hands and faces after mealtime!
6. After mealtime is finished, give them a shallow container of water mixed with a little bit of soap, and invite kids to clear and clean their eating space.