Something all kids love to do is “cook”. Although you may not want to have involved dishes for them to prepare at your next child’s birthday party, you can always have snacks they can make themselves. With all the kid’s cookbooks you can find at your local library or bookstore and everything available on the internet, you are sure to find numerous no-cook or quick cook recipes that kids can prepare on their own.

No-Cook Snack Ideas

1. Snack Mix – The easiest snack of all is a snack mix. Provide bowls of kids favorite goodies, like pretzels, goldfish crackers, raisins, peanuts, M&Ms, granola, cereals (Chex varieties, Cheerios, Fruit Loops…just to name a few), popcorn (butter, cheese and caramel), dried fruits and anything else that can be eaten with your fingers. Provide the kids with a brown paper lunch bag which they can fill with their own snack variety. Each time the bag is empty during the party, all they have to do is go back for more!

2. Graham Cracker Dippers – Take the new Graham Cracker Stix that are available, either with or without cinnamon, and put out bowls of yogurt, applesauce, peanut butter, marshmallow fluff or pudding for dips. Some of the new flavored cream cheeses are really yummy, so offer a few of them to the kids, too.

3. Fruit Salad – Created in the same way as the Snack Mix (#1). In large bowls, provide everything that is needed: banana slices, cubed melons (like watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew), red and green grapes, apple slices, pear slices, orange wedges, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, red raspberries and any other kinds of fun fruits!

4. “Ants on a Log” – Take celery sticks, spread peanut butter down the center, then place raisins on the “log”. Tastes great and is yummy, too.

5. Cracker Stackers – Using Ritz or saltine crackers, offer kids slices of lunch meat, cheese, peanut butter, jelly, apple slices, veggie slices…anything that can be eaten on a cracker! Kids can make as many or as few varieties as they like.

6. Pretzel Bugs – Using caramel squares and several varieties of pretzels, see how many different types of bugs the kids can come up with!

Quick Cook Snack Ideas

1. Ice Cream Cone Cakes – Have kids scoop the prepared cake batter flavor of their choice (like chocolate, yellow, and banana) into a flat bottom ice cream cone. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on the box instructions. Then let the kids decorate with icing, whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry on top.

2. Rice Cake Pizzas – A twist on a party favorite. Take a no salt or lightly salted rice cake, add some pizza sauce and your favorite pizza toppings. Bake until cheese is lightly brown and bubbling. (Crackers or English muffins can replace the rice cake.)

3. Cinnamon Toast – This can be made with a toaster alone or with a toaster and your oven. Spread butter on toast, then sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar. If you want it a bit warmer, pop it in the over for a few minutes.

These are just a few of the many snack ideas you can find for the kids to make. Having the party guests make their own snacks is a fun activity that will keep you all working together!