Give Picky Eaters an Appetite With These Word Searches!
Have picky eaters at home? It’s so frustrating! You’re mindful of your child’s health, but you also can’t understand why peas are so icky, or why red food is more appetizing than green food.
There are plenty of ways to help picky eaters. The best ideas sometimes are the most creative and unexpected. You may be shocked to discover how much making a word search can help a picky eater at mealtime.
Why Word Searches Help Picky Eaters
The Mayo Clinic’s 10 tips for a picky eater gives general guidelines for how picky eaters. Here’s how word searches help meet these guidelines.
They make kids choose
Give your kids a word search for each meal, but only list foods they can have for that meal. For example, if your child is a picky eater at breakfast and demands spaghetti, list his or her options for breakfast. This might include cereal, toast, eggs, and fruit.
They whet their appetite
Sometimes kids just aren’t hungry. A list of delicious and nutritious foods will get kids thinking about mealtime. Word searches also encourage more adventurous eating in kids. A word search focused on one meal or dish can list some of their favorites and some dishes they don’t know. The comparison might get them interested in trying new things!
They encourage structure without rigidity
Sometimes kids don’t want to eat because they don’t want to sit still. To solve a word search, kids will sit still without even realizing it. This is particularly helpful at restaurants. Giving your kids a new word search on a regular basis can also create a routine that still has variety.
They make mealtime fun
Sometimes kids become picky eaters because mealtime is boring to them. It’s reasonable to tell kids they can’t fling their mashed potatoes. It’s also reasonable that kids would want to look forward to mealtimes. Word searches help balance the desire for fun with the need for order.
Word Searches for Picky Eaters
The best word searches for picky eaters are the ones you make for them. After all, Mom and Dad know best which foods their kids like and don’t like. These word searches for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time will help get the tummies rumbling!
Breakfast
They say it’s the most important meal of the day, and a breakfast word search can also get the mind ready for school. These word searches feature hearty breakfasts to get kids’ mouths watering.
Lunch
Your kids will be a hit at school with a daily word search in their lunch bag! List what’s for lunch today, or give a sneak peek at what they’ll have in their bag tomorrow.
Dinner
Dinner can be the hardest time for kids to focus after a long day. Use these dinner word searches to help kids unwind and get ready to eat.
Snacks
For snack time word searches, stick to healthy foods that aren’t too filling. Some kids become picky eaters because they’re too full from a snack, or splurge on something sweet.
Vegetable Snacks
Healthy Snacks
With word searches, meals will go from frustrating to fun. You can even turn your word searches into placemats or special plates to encourage kids to eat up! Make your word search today.
Let us know – did your word search help your picky eater? Share it in the comments and on social media to help out other moms and dads!
Kristen Seikaly used her artistic background, research skills, and love for the internet to launch her first blog, Operaversity. Now she uses the skills to connect teachers, parents, and game enthusiasts with Crossword Hobbyist and My Word Search. She studied music at the University of Michigan, and now lives in Philadelphia.
How cool is this!? I’ve loved word searches since I was a kid. This brings back so many memories and ideas I could use for my granddaughter when she’s older!
It’s the first time I’ve encountered this idea. My 3-year-old is becoming a picky eater, this may help her eat more healthy food. Will try this. Thanks!