Making Mealtime Fun

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Making Mealtime Fun

🥑Pediatric OT🍓Author🍊Feeding Therapist Making mealtime fun for picky eaters🫐Not medical advice🫐

10/16/2026

Haunted tales that are in fact stories I hear all the time as a pediatric OT and feeding therapist. If these things keep you up at night, you’re not alone BUT there is hope that things can get better! 🙌🏼

Follow along for more picky eating tips and feeding resources to make mealtimes fun instead of feeling like a nightmare 👻

10/09/2026

Join us at MY Play Café - Lee’s Summit for a fun Halloween themed feeding group! 🎃

Led by a pediatric OT and SLP, this group will help your child learn to explore new foods using a play based and evidence based approach.

During group, you can expect lots of smiles, sensory play, social interaction, fun crafts, and tasty treats. Afterwards, your child can play at My Play Cafe for free (comes with payment for the group) 🥳

Parents/caregivers are expected to stay with their child during the group to learn strategies for encouraging and modeling sensory exploration with new foods, which you can then model at home.

Your child will also get to take home a painted pumpkin and a Halloween themed snack mat with various food play ideas to make mealtime fun! 👏🏼

Comment below for the link to sign up and feel free to email [email protected] with any questions!

09/09/2026

With kids back in school, it’s time to reframe mealtimes 🍎

As a parent, you might not be your child’s teacher when they are at school but you are their teacher when they are home with you. And guess what?! This includes mealtimes!

Parents, take notes because during meals and snack times:
✏️Every meal is class time
✏️You are the teacher
✏️Your child is the student
✏️Food is the subject

Now, let’s take a minute to think back to when you were in school…

📗Was there ever a time you showed up to class and your teacher wasn’t there? Nope. In the same way, you need to sit down with your child during meals and snacks to teach them about the food!
📙Was there ever a time you showed up to class and your history teacher decided to start giving a lesson about science? Nope. In the same way, if we are thinking about meals as class time then our conversation needs to be about the food!
📕Was there ever a time you showed up to class and your teacher decided you were going to plan the lesson for the day and be in charge of what was taught? Nope. In the same way, you as the parent are in charge of what is served during mealtimes and snack times. Unpopular opinion, I know… but your child doesn’t get to choose what they eat and learn about for Every. Single. Meal.

As a parent, it is your job to make mealtimes as fun as possible so that your child enjoys showing up to class instead of trying to skip school. If you need ideas that will help your child be more excited to learn about new foods, check out my new product: Fun with Food card deck. Available on Amazon now!

What did you learn about mealtimes today and what do you still have questions about? Leave a comment below!👇🏼

Resource:

Rivas-Argueta, S. (2020, August 9). A child’s occupations: Feeding. Toronto Children’s Therapy Center. https://www.torontochildrenstherapycentre.ca/a-childs-occupations-feeding/

08/15/2026

If school is about to start and you’re feeling overwhelmed with packing lunches, this is for you!👇🏼

But first, save this post for later.

As a pediatric occupational therapist and feeding therapist, I work with super picky eaters. And I know that the “typical” picky eating strategies don’t always work for my families. So, what do I tell them instead?!

First and foremost, don’t create the perfect storm for your child to food jag (aka eat the same food prepared the same way over and over again and then get burned out on that food).

I know sending school lunches is super stressful when your child already has an extremely limited number of things they’ll actually eat.

That’s exactly why I tell my families that it’s ok to send the same foods every day if you have to, but make them look different.

- Cut the sandwich a different way
- Switch which compartments you’re placing certain foods in
- Use mini cookie cutters to make food different shapes

This is extremely important if you have a super picky eater because we don’t want them to lose a food from their already very limited list of things they’ll eat.

Other lunchbox tips for picky eaters include:

1. Serve mostly (if not only) preferred foods. School cafeterias are entirely overstimulating and overwhelming and not the time to expect your child to eat new foods.

2. Serve foods that are easy to chew and sensory friendly. Most kids have a very limited amount of time to eat their lunch at school. Serving foods that are easy to chew will help your child be able to eat more foods more efficiently.

3. If you can, pack a protein, starch, and fruit or vegetable in your child’s lunchbox. This helps to ensure a balanced meal that will help your child stay full longer throughout the day.

Were these tips helpful? Follow Megan Cornell, OTD, OTR/L🥑Picky Eating Tips to Make Mealtime Fun for more picky eating strategies and resources ❤️

08/10/2026

One of the cutest birthday gifts that my daughter LOVES! This mud kitchen/water table combo is the perfect outdoor toy and of course I had to paint some food rocks to make it complete 😍

Did you know pretend play with foods has so many benefits for all kiddos, but especially picky eaters?!

Not only does it enhance social skills, cognitive skills, motor planning, sequencing, fine motor skills, and more… it also allows children to play with fake foods in a fun, no pressure, no stress way 👏🏼

This allows you to talk about the sensory properties of those foods (color, shape, size, etc.) and invites curiosity about what those foods might actually feel, smell, and taste like.

Remember that comfortability sparks confidence so the more comfortable your kiddo is seeing and playing with fake foods, the more confident they will be seeing and playing with real foods!

If you want the links to the supplies for the mud kitchen, comment “SUPPLIES” below and I’ll send them your way!

No commission, no affiliates, no anything… just one mama sharing something that brings joy (and allows me to drink my coffee hot 🤪iykyk)

07/26/2026

The best day celebrating the best girl. Oaklynn, you truly are one in a melon 🍉 we love you more than you’ll ever know!

07/20/2026

One of my favorite recommendations for families of picky eaters… go to the farmers market!

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Many picky eaters are more comfortable and familiar with packaged foods (because that’s what they feel safe eating). However, exposing your child to fresh fruits and veggies that don’t come boxed up in a perfect, little package boosts their mental flexibility and opens up conversations about how fruits and vegetables are grown.

2. Giving your child a choice of what new food they want to pick out allows them to feel in control. It also allows them to be an active participant in their own learning which is key to success!

Hint: instead of asking your child, “why don’t you pick out a new food that we can try when we get home?” Say this: “you get a special job today to pick out one new food we can learn about together when we get home!” Take the pressure off eating and put the emphasis on exploring 👏🏼

3. It’s easy to get in a rut during mealtimes and keep offering the same foods over and over again hoping that this time, your child will finally eat it. Although repeated exposure is important, so is novelty! Allowing your child to pick out a new food and then help you make a new recipe is a great way to change things up and encourage exploration in a new way!

Have you been to a farmers market this summer? If so, what was your favorite find?!👇🏼

07/07/2026

If you’re running out of fun activities for your picky eater, save this for some great ideas! ☀️

All of these will help your child engage with new foods and mealtime experiences in a play based and purposeful way!

Which idea sounds like the most fun for you and your child? Let me know in the comments!👇🏼

06/27/2026

You’ve heart of chocolate covered strawberries… but have you heard of marshmallow covered strawberries?! 🍓

If not… they’re a game changer! And the perfect last minute food to make for the 4th of July 🧨

To make:

1. Wash and completely dry strawberries
2. Microwave marshmallows or marshmallow creme
3. Poke toothpick through strawberry then dip into marshmallow creme
4. Remove strawberry from marshmallows then dip into blue sprinkles
5. Refrigerate until served

Add these to your list of fun 4th of July foods! ❤️🤍💙

05/29/2026

Summer groups start a week from today! 🥳

If you want your child to build foundational skills, socialize with other peers, and engage in meaningful sensory processing activities all while having fun then sign up today!

During and after each group, caregivers will be provided with education, resources, and strategies for practicing your child’s skills at home. You will also have the opportunity to ask any specific questions about your child’s development to a pediatric occupational therapist and pediatric speech therapist.

Come feeling excited and expectant for all the skills your child will learn during groups and leave feeling empowered to continue furthering their development at home 👏🏼

Click the link below to see the June and July calendar and sign up today! Can’t wait to see you soon!

https://myplaycafe.bookpsb.com/ #/cx/calendar?eventType=309

Address

659 SW 2nd St.
Lees Summit, MO
64063

Website

https://amzn.to/3si7MvX, https://makingmealtimefun.etsy.com/, https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Making-Mealtime-

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