If you're thinking about getting a learning tower, I encourage you to pull the trigger! It's the #1 toddler item used in our house and the one we recommend most to parents.
If you're already got one and are looking for some fun recipes to make with your little ones, our Montessori Casa teacher, Victoria, has put together five easy ones that your children will enjoy making.
Not only does Victoria teach in the Casa classroom but she also runs an after-school cooking program for the children in her school. She knows first hand what works (and what doesn't) in the kitchen with little ones.
Recipe #1 Fruit Skewers
You will need:
Fruit (strawberries, blackberries, grapes, etc)
Skewers
Honey or melted chocolate (optional for a special treat!)
Instructions:
1. Choose a selection of fruit that your toddler can wash and cut on their own (strawberries, blackberries, grapes, etc).
2. Select some fruits and place them in a strainer so they can be washed.
3. Wash the fruits under cold water and place each piece of fruit on a paper towel to dry. Observe if there’s any old or rotten fruit in the batch and show your children how to figure this out for themselves.
4. Using a long skewer, pierce each piece of fruit one at a time onto the skewer.
5. Once the skewer is full, repeat this step on another skewer if you have any remaining pieces of fruit.
6. Placing your fruit skewer on a plate, drizzle melted chocolate or honey over top for an extra special treat.
Recipe #2 Banana Popsicles
You will need:
Bananas
Popsicle sticks
Melted chocolate
Tray lined with parchment paper
Nut butter, chopped nuts, coconut shavings, or sprinkles
Instructions:
1. Peel a banana and cut it in half, then cut it lengthwise.
2. Insert popsicle sticks into the banana and place on a tray lined with parchment paper. Put the tray in the freezer and remove when the bananas are frozen.
3. Melt some chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds.
4. Dip your banana in the melted chocolate. Scrape off any excess, dripping chocolate and place back on your lined tray.
5. Lastly, top your frozen banana popsicles with hemp hearts, sprinkles, drizzled nut butter or chopped nuts.
Recipe #3 Frozen Yogurt Bark
You will need:
Vanilla yogurt
Assortment of fruits (strawberries, banana, kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, etc)
Tray lined with parchment paper
2 tbsp maple syrup
Shredded coconut
Instructions:
1. Mix 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to a cup of vanilla yogurt.
2. Spread the cup of yogurt on a tray lined with parchment paper.
3. Wash the fruits under cold water in a strainer and place each piece of fruit on a paper towel to dry. Observe if there’s any old or rotten fruit in the batch.
4. Once dry, slice your fruit. Sprinkle the fruit and shredded coconut over top of the yogurt.
5. Place the tray in the freezer for 6-8 hours. Once the yogurt bark is frozen, cut it up into pieces and store them in freezer bags in the freezer.
Recipe #4 Cheesy quesadillas
You will need:
tortilla wraps
shredded cheese
1 cup of salsa
a tray lined with parchment paper
Instructions:
1. Place the tortillas on a tray lined with parchment paper.
2. Spread salsa over half of each tortilla.
3. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of the salsa and fold over.
4. Broil on high for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Cut into wedges and enjoy!
Recipe #5 Oatmeals Bites
You will need:
½ cup of applesauce
2 cups of rolled oats
½ cup of chocolate chips
½ cup of raisins
a tray lined with parchment paper
Instructions:
1. Mix all the ingredients together in one bowl with a spatula.
2. Roll mixture into small balls.
3. Place the oatmeal bites on a tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake the oatmeal bites at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
5. Store the remaining oatmeal bites in a sealed container in the fridge.
The Value of Including Your Child In The Kitchen
Aside from the typical Montessori-based benefits of encouraging your child to help in the kitchen - independence, self-confidence, fine motor skills, etc - there's another HUGE benefit that's often overlooked.
Having your child participate in their own food prep, can often encourage more adventurous eating. Their pride children feel for a dish they helped to make is likely to translate into wanting to eat it!
If you're currently combatting picky eating, a learning tower is a wonderful way to help encourage your child to try new things!
We have two versions available right now, a beautifully made collapsible one: https://www.themontessoriroom.com/product-page/collapsible-learning-tower
And a smaller footprint, collapsible one: https://www.themontessoriroom.com/product-page/learning-tower