Summer is the perfect time to ditch the norm and get creative, so we reinvented the wheel when it comes to serving up fruit! Rainbow fruit snacks are a terrific way to learn about colors, practice counting, improve patterning skills and strengthen finger muscles, all while enjoying some healthy and refreshing treats!

On top of that, this a simple and easy activity the family can do together – a perfect way spend a summer afternoon!

Materials:

• Wooden Skewers
• Plates and one large tray
• Fruit!

Try to use one type of fruit for each color of the rainbow, referencing our video. Or get creative with different patterns, depending on the fruit you choose!

Steps:

1. Start making your skewers – use your fingers to push the fruit up. The skewers are pointy, so be careful!
2. Repeat with each color. When finished with a skewer, lay it on your tray.
3. Try different patterns of colors, or try using two pieces of each fruit to double the size of your rainbow!
4. When you’ve finished making your skewers, fan them out on your tray to make the shape of the rainbow.

Share With Us!

We hope you had a blast making this refreshing and colorful summer snack. Snap a few pictures before digging in! We’d love to see your finished creations. Share with us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #mothergooseclub.

One of my secrets in the kitchen is incorporating math while teaching my daughter how to cook. Cooking is a terrific way to introduce simple mathematical concepts, allowing children to begin conceptualizing and understanding addition, multiplication, fractions, number order, ratios and more.

So what is a good recipe that’s doable for kids? Pancakes! Our family eats gluten-free, so we use a pancake mix called Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix, found on Amazon at the link below. It tastes so good that even my friends who aren’t gluten-free absolutely LOVE it. It comes with simple, mistake-proof instructions on the back.

Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix

How do I use pancakes to teach math? First, I ask my daughter to measure how many cups of the mix we need to make for the number of people we plan to serve. If the package says you need 1 cup of the mix for 4 people, how many cups do we need for 8 people? Voila – 2 cups it is!

We love adding bananas into the pancakes – it naturally adds that extra sweetness. I ask my daughter to slice the bananas into equal parts, which teaches basic division and cutting skills. If each pancake needs 5 slices of banana, how many do we need to make 8 pancakes? 40 banana slices!

Next, we add the eggs. Encourage your child read the directions on the package to decipher the amount needed.

Make sure to use another bowl to crack the eggs, since little pieces of shell can fall into the mixing bowl. You can also introduce a concept called mise en place, a French culinary term that means “everything in its place”, so that your family can cook more efficiently and safely.

Time to mix the batter! Kids LOVE this part – one less task for the parent!

Fire up the stove, use a little coconut oil in your pan to give the pancakes a nutty flavor, and scoop your batter into the pan. You should wait until bubbles form at the edge of the pancake as it cooks, and then flip it just once.

An opportunity to instill patience!

Now the best part – pouring maple syrup on top!

Sometimes I ask my daughter to cut the pancakes in halves or quarters as a serving size, which illustrates division in a real-world way.

You can also add blueberries, walnuts and other ingredients of your choosing. Kids love chocolate, of course. I like to use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, which can also be found on Amazon below. They’re dairy-free, soy-free and nut-free.

Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Vegan Chocolate Chips

And there you have it! In just 20-30 minutes, thoroughly delicious and healthy pancakes for the family! Plus, we learned some math along the way! It’s become one of my favorite activities to do on a Saturday morning. The most important part is the quality time – be creative and have fun with it together!

Cheers to joyful eating,
Clara