DIY Cereal Bar

Do you struggle to get your kids to eat breakfast? Or any meal for that matter? My kids are the worst at eating lately. They love to snack but hate to sit down for an actual meal. Sometimes they’ll devour an entire plate of eggs, bacon, fruit, yogurt, and still want more! But lately they aimlessly poke at their breakfast with no real interest in eating it. They get that from me, we are a group of “grazers”! I’ve been trying all sorts of things to get them to actually eat a full meal and breakfast seems to have proved the most successful meal attempt for them, especially with our new “Cereal Bar”. 

By turning breakfast into a kind of game, they have gotten more interested in eating a whole meal and gets them excited to eat every morning! Not only is it a sneaky way to get them to eat, its also educational and aids in some small motor development. Scooping, pouring, filling, and mixing helps develop and practice fine motor skills, and also helps with math concepts like counting and more than/less than. Being able to feel and manipulate the cereal helps coordinate what they are seeing with their eyes to what they are doing with their hands. 

Here’s what you’ll need for your Cereal Bar:
-Cereal & Milk
-Scoops
-Bowls & Spoons
-Paper Towels (it may get messy)

Let’s Eat:

Put out your containers of cereal. I love an organized pantry and sometimes (for a few minutes) mine is just that! I love THESE containers we got from Costco, but you can also find them on amazon HERE. We’ve been kinda on the fence about letting the kids eat sugary cereal so we have been letting them pick one “sugary” option and one “healthy” option at the market. This week Oliver chose Puffins and Apple Jacks. We had some Trix and Cheerios left over from last week so those were put out too.  

Next, grab some scoops. We sometimes use measuring cups, but I think the kids prefer to use THESE disposable cups since they fit into the containers a little easier. With scoops set out on the table, let your child scoop as much (or as little) as they want. This is where the mess starts because toddlers are really good at spilling. Now after they have filled their bowl with their cereal, encourage them to mix it all up with their spoon. We really like THESE bowls and spoons because they are sturdy and easy to clean, plus they are made from recycled materials. Grab some paper towels and prepare for some spills. 

On to the milk! I like to pour the milk into a small measuring cup for them as opposed to letting them pour it straight from the jug. But if you’re willing to let them use the jug, I salute you! You can find the measuring cups we use HERE. We have a set for our kitchen and another for their playhouse in the backyard. 

Before the kids dig in, they help with the clean up. I feel like kids need to help with cleaning up the messes they help make because it teaches a sense of responsibility. I’m also a huge fan of a Montessori-style influence on activities and cleaning up signals that it is the end of an activity. 

Now that the mess is cleaned up, its time to mix up our cereal and milk, and enjoy! 

Hopefully this helps with anyone dealing with some temperamental eaters! Let me know how this worked out for you & what else you’ve tried for your little ones!