This snacktivity is a great way to introduce vegetables to a hesitant eater. It really takes the pressure off eating them. Just touching vegetables and interacting with them in a fun way will help them be more open to tasting them in the future.

I call this a snacktivity, because I have little expectation that my 4 year old will eat them. She plays with it, pokes them out, plays again, asks to help punch out the shapes, swaps out similar shapes for the different colors, and thinks it’s all hilarious that we’re playing with food.

If your little eater is not thrilled about having only raw veggies for snack, this snacktivity works great with slices of cheese, lunchmeat, bread, or anything else your kid is into that you can use a cookie cutter on. If you don’t want to splurge on the tiny veggie cutters (though they are super cute and we use them all the time for stuff like this and to make little gluten free goldfish crackers, pie crust decorations, etc), you can make a simple shape puzzle using a paring knife. Try squares, triangles, and circles. The younger the kid, the more simple you should make the shape. This will make them easier to put back in.

Try serving your veggie puzzle with a few different dips. Today we used a scoop of my homemade ranch and everything bagel flavored hummus. Try for brightly colored vegetables. Bell peppers hold up well, but you should cut them from the inside out to avoid ripping it. Cucumbers are the easiest to cut, so they are a great one to let your little helper press. The tiny cookie cutters are surprisingly sharp, but you have to press hard, so make sure you’re doing all this on a cutting board. I highly recommend a mix of veggies, fruit, cheese, and bread. Feel free to get creative! Bonus points if you let them make their own puzzle. The more hands on they get, the more exposure to the vegetables they will have.