fall ‘Tis a great season to conduct investigations in preschool! The changing colors of leaves often serve as inspiration for our art projects, book selections, scientific research, and even snack ideas! This fall snack activity for kids is the perfect way to get into the season!
Autumn snack supplies
The supplies for this fall-themed foliage activity are simple:
- Leaf shaped cookie cutter Available in various sizes
- bread
- cheese
- lunch meat
- spinach
- tray
- Every child’s plate
- Serving utensils (tweezers work better than forks)
Preparing snacks for the kids this fall
First, decide whether students will be individually making their own snacks or whether a “leaf buffet” will be provided, in which case only adults can prepare the ingredients.
In either case, cutting the bread with a cookie cutter requires a bit of effort to fully push apart the sponge (and careful removal to avoid tearing the bread), so this job is best left to adults.
Check out this research-based, fun learning unit in our course store!
Bundles with 14 of my most popular fall resources, including math and literacy group activities! Make learning fun with these hands-on resources!
Lunchmeat can be cut by adults or children, depending on thickness.
Tip: Use your largest cookie cutter to cut bread and smaller cutters for other ingredients.
Leaf cookie cutters for this adorable fall snack idea for kids
If you want to get the kids involved in preparing their own snacks, using smaller cookie cutters to cut cheese is a perfect task for little hands!
This is a fun snack where all the ingredients can be mixed together in a “leaf buffet” style (if you serve a buffet, only adults should prepare the snack for hygiene reasons).
Incorporate leaf colors into this fall snack
You can talk to your children about the colors they notice in their snacks: yellow/orange, green, brown, and light pink. The green leaves on the trees now will soon be replaced by the other colors we see here.
Give students the opportunity to assemble their own snack by providing tongs (or forks) to collect the leaves from the bread and make a small sandwich.
Allergy Alert: Due to food allergies, we keep this as a dry sandwich and do not include any spreads such as mayonnaise (including eggs). Please be aware of the food allergies/sensitivities present in your class and provide appropriate alternatives for these students.
Allowing students to prepare or assemble their own snacks can help build their confidence and teach them life skills in how to serve food. I hope your students enjoy this snack as much as I do!
Introduction: Clarissa is a former elementary school teacher and author of the Munchkins and Moms blog. She loves sharing creative preschool activities that are both fun and educational. Check out some of her popular posts like the foil printed autumn leaves that are the perfect accompaniment to this snack! Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and twitter Get more creative!
More fall ideas
