School is back in full swing! Looking for a simple after school treat that your little one can help make? This zoo snack mix may just be the perfect recipe! Or, are you a classroom parent this year and need some ideas? Pair this recipe with an animal book (keep reading to see our list) and you have a fantastic animal-themed activity!
This salty and sweet mix is not only easy to make but a great way to get your child involved in the kitchen (without things becoming TOO messy!). Beyond that, this snack is a great way to incorporate themed vocabulary and learning skills as you make it.
One of the best things about this snack is that there are virtually no rules! Head to the grocery store with your child and enjoy searching the aisles for all the animal-themed goodies.
Below are some animal-themed treats to consider:
Rainbow Goldfish
Gummy Bears
Animal Crackers
Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies
Teddy Grahams
Annie’s Bunny Fruit Snacks
Kellog’s Bug Bites Graham Cracker Snacks
Swedish Fish
Mix your desired ingredients together and enjoy! To add some extra crunch and brain fuel to your snack mix, consider other non-animal themed items such as nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and more.
Looking for ways to incorporate some speech and language skills into this recipe? Check out our ideas below:
- Categorize the animal treats. Have your child sort the of animals based on:
- Location: at the farm or at the zoo, on the land or on water
- Size: small vs. large
- Colors: one color vs. stripes
- Compare animals. Talk about the similarities and differences between two animals:
- Bunny vs. Bear
- Encourage your child to find the animals with their speech sound:
- S Sound: snakes, bunnies, seals
- Challenge your child to think of words that rhyme with an animal:
- Bunny: hunny, sunny, funny
- Bear: care, stair, fair, chair, square, tear
- Have your child make a pattern on the table with the animal treats.
- AB pattern: lion, fish, lion, fish
- ABC pattern: bunny, fish, bear, bunny, fish, bear
- Take this snack mix to the zoo and go on a scavenger hunt! Can you locate all of the animals in the zoo snack mix? Talk about all the animals you see such as the food they eat, the environment they live in, and how they move.
Not only do we love to encourage kids in the kitchen… we’re wild about reading, too! Check out our zoo themed book list below:
Dear Zoo by Rod Cambell
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? By Bill Martin Jr.
Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
Goodnight, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire
https://amzn.to/3yTWGAA by Kathleen Long Bostrom
Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang
How to Catch a Unicorn by Adam Wallace
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? By Eric Carle
Elmer by David Mckee
The Star of the Zoo by Virginie Zurcher
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Who’s New at the Zoo? By Fisher Price Little People
Feed the Animals by Bernd Penners
Be sure to tag us at @owlstherapy with your take on this yummy zoo snack mix!