Yummy (Easy) Party Snacks for Toddlers

Planning a party for a toddler can be so fun, but you have to be realistic about what a one-year old can eat and do. For example, don't bother planning any actual party games or crafts because chances are the kids won't be interested. Instead, plan your party around what your little can do and what they can eat! Here is the menu I used for my son Ben's Second Annual Summer Party, for children ages 17 months through 21 months.

For the first snack, I took an old recipe from Taste of Home for Parmesan Party mix and tweaked it to fit my "audience". In a large mixing bowl, pour 6 cups of Cheerios, 1 cup of pretzels, and 1 cup of Cheez-its. You can break the pretzels into smaller pieces and use those little tiny hexagon-shaped Cheez-it snacks if you are worried about choking. In a separate bowl, I mixed several tablespoons of Olive Oil with maybe a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and half a cup of Parmesan cheese. Drizzle this over the cereal mixture and toss to coat. This snack was a big hit for the toddlers because of the Cheerios but also has a grown-up enough taste for the adults to enjoy too!

I also made my staple: Jello Jigglers! I have so many cookie cutters, I can usually find a shape that's appropriate for any party. This time, I only had to use circles to make bubbles so it was pretty simple. To make the smaller ones, I actually just used a sippy cup lid. The recipe I use is a modified one from a Taste of Home magazine. If I remember correctly, here's the recipe: Mix two boxes of blue Jello with 1 1/4 cups of boiling water, stirring for two minutes, and let it cool for 30 minutes. Then mix 1/2 cup of cold milk with just half a package of instant vanilla pudding and IMMEDIATELY stir it into your Jello. QUICKLY pour it into a flat pan, coated with cooking spray and refrigerate for about three hours. Cut into shapes and enjoy!

Finally, I made some banana roll-ups because they were circles too. Melt 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, then add maybe 1/4 cup of peanut butter. Spread the delicious mixture on a flour tortilla, then set a banana on one end of it. Roll it up then cut into 1/2 inch sections. I think this would make a good breakfast one day, too... You can also use another nut butter like almond butter, or Nutella. Enjoy!