Products 
A DVD to help with eating? Kids learn from other kids, and that’s the premise of Copy-Kids™ videos. As I reported in this article, the key is to “sit down and watch it with your child, along with a colorful snack tray of bell peppers, broccoli, avocado, blueberries… Keep it positive and don’t emphasize the eating part.
Just pick up the same food you see on the TV and say something silly about it. Roll it down your cheeks and talk about how it feels. Give it a big kiss and proclaim your love for orange, red, yellow and green peppers! It’s not always about biting into a new food – that comes later. But, if taking a bite happens in the course of playing and watching a silly DVD, then that’s terrific!”
Confession: I'm not a big fan of “reward” charts. Why? Because rewards only temporarily reinforce “good” behaviors when the focus is getting a prize. But, the Today I Ate a Rainbow kit doesn’t overtly focus on rewarding kids. It’s about celebrating and discovering new colors of nutritious vegetables and fruits as a family.
In fact, each chart comes with different shapes of magnets for up to four members of the family to place on a magnetic rainbow to symbolize the colors they've eaten that day. So join in! Eat a Rainbow!
3 Fun Products for Helping Preschoolers Learn to Eat
In my previous post, we explored fun tools to help young toddlers with the fine motor skill of eating. Today’s post focuses on the preschooler – often a time that kids become more picky about trying anything new! Here are 3 strategies to expand little palates, one taste at a time!1. Copy-Kids™ Eat Fruit and Vegetables
A DVD to help with eating? Kids learn from other kids, and that’s the premise of Copy-Kids™ videos. As I reported in this article, the key is to “sit down and watch it with your child, along with a colorful snack tray of bell peppers, broccoli, avocado, blueberries… Keep it positive and don’t emphasize the eating part.
Just pick up the same food you see on the TV and say something silly about it. Roll it down your cheeks and talk about how it feels. Give it a big kiss and proclaim your love for orange, red, yellow and green peppers! It’s not always about biting into a new food – that comes later. But, if taking a bite happens in the course of playing and watching a silly DVD, then that’s terrific!”
2. Today I Ate a Rainbow
Confession: I'm not a big fan of “reward” charts. Why? Because rewards only temporarily reinforce “good” behaviors when the focus is getting a prize. But, the Today I Ate a Rainbow kit doesn’t overtly focus on rewarding kids. It’s about celebrating and discovering new colors of nutritious vegetables and fruits as a family.
In fact, each chart comes with different shapes of magnets for up to four members of the family to place on a magnetic rainbow to symbolize the colors they've eaten that day. So join in! Eat a Rainbow!
3. Tasting Spoons
Professional chefs keep hundreds of these in restaurant kitchens because they need to taste as they create each dish. Set the tiny spoons in a ramekin in the center of the table as a fun way for kids to taste any new food that’s on their dinner plates. Reserve those spoons for new foods only – and leave it up to your child how many tastes he wants to take. The small size is less overwhelming for kids and the spoons easily wash up in the sink to be used once more. Keep a second ramekin on the kitchen counter for tasting as you and your kids cook together, just like the professionals! It’s a fun idea for everyone in the family, regardless of age. Even older kids enjoy having these spoons around – and it just might get everyone in your family willing to take a tiny taste…and that might lead to something more.
