Making Mealtime Fun

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Making Mealtime Fun

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

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

05/10/2026

Ya know what’s funny… I originally made this post 2 years ago through the lens of a feeding therapist. But now, I’m making this post as a feeding therapist and mom to a 9 month old whose feeding journey has not gone at all how I expected.

From significant feeding struggles right after birth to a tongue tie revision to a dairy allergy, to other food sensitivities, our feeding journey has been a lot.

I’ve breastfed, bottle fed, triple fed, and supplemented with formula. Since starting solids, I’ve given her organic foods and conventional foods and have felt guilty for not making all of her purées and foods from scratch.

I’ve had to put her in a long sleeve bib for meals due to her getting a terrible contact rash after eating. Messy play during meals has made me anxious that she will break out again despite me knowing all of the sensory benefits. I mean hello, what’s making mealtime fun without it looking like a food fight after every meal?! 🤪

All this to say, no matter how or what you feed your child, you are a great mom. It’s ok to envision feeding your child one way and then have to adapt to something else. It’s ok to be disappointed that your child’s feeding journey didn’t go how you planned. It doesn’t mean you failed or that you’re a bad mom, it means you grew more resilience, strength, and perseverance along the way.

Send this to a friend who just like me, needs to be reminded of this truth or save it for yourself so you can remember later 🤍

05/09/2026

9 months in 🤍 9 months out

Celebrating Mother’s Day reflecting on the blessing it is to be living in the prayers of our past.

Oaklynn Grace, thank you for making me a mama. You’re the greatest gift I could ever imagine.

And to think that God loves you more.

📸

05/06/2026

Nothing beats sweet summer days and purposeful play ☀️📖🍉

Join our Speech and Sensory or Fun with Food groups this summer led by Megan Cornell, OTD, OTR/L, a pediatric occupational therapist and Melissa Finneseth, MS, CCC-SLP, a pediatric speech-language pathologist.

During these 4 week workshops, your child will have the opportunity to build skills in communication, sensory processing, feeding, regulation, social interaction, and overall motor development.

For our Speech and Sensory workshop, children ages 3-5 will explore all 8 sensory systems including: sight, smell, sound, touch, taste, proprioception, interoception, and vestibular processing through fun games and activities throughout the summer. Your child will also have the opportunity to learn and practice new words/sounds as well as socialize with other peers.

For our Fun with Food workshop, children ages 3-7 will learn about new foods utilizing a play based and sensory based approach facilitated by a Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding certified therapist. Your child will have the opportunity to engage in the 6 main sensory steps to eating including: visually tolerating, interacting with, smelling, touching, tasting, and eating new foods. This group is perfect for picky eaters, little foodies, and anyone in between!

For both groups, caregiver participation is required and families will receive weekly resources to help your child continue building their skills at home 👏🏼

Link to Speech and Sensory workshop:

https://myplaycafe.bookpsb.com/ #/cx/register/1eba995c-1bfd-4862-a43f-b3e7fafa5e0c

Link to Fun with Food workshop:

https://myplaycafe.bookpsb.com/ #/cx/register/8be4b582-2886-4cfb-89c4-d461ef95dd3f

Limited spots are available so hurry and sign up today!

05/01/2026

Does this surprise you?!👆🏼

According to research…

- “Parental pressure to eat specific volumes or specific foods at 4 years predicts fussy eating at 6 years”

AND

- “Higher levels of parental pressure are associated with lower levels of child intake and weight; and higher ratings of child ‘pickiness’.”

So, INSTEAD of pressure, choose PLAY! 🥳

As the parent, your jobs during mealtimes are to:
- choose what foods are being served
- choose when mealtimes are
- choose how you model having fun with foods!

Your child’s jobs during mealtimes are to:
- choose what to eat
- choose how much to eat
- choose how they interact and play with new foods

If you’re ready to ditch the mealtime battles and actually help your child learn about new foods in a play based and evidence based way, check out the Fun with Food card deck!

This product contains 99 games and activities to help your child work up the steps to eating and learn to love new foods!

Available on Amazon using the link below (or click the link in my bio)

https://amzn.to/3si7MvX

References:

Jansen, P.W., DeBarse, L.M., Jaddoe, V., Verhulst, F.C., Franco, O.H., & Tiemeier, H. (2017). Bidirectional associations between child fussy eating and parents’ pressure to eat: Who influences whom? Physiological Behavior, 176, 101-106.

Ventura, A. K., & Birch, L. L. (2008). Does parenting affect children’s eating and weight status? The International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 5, 15.

03/30/2026

Click the link below to get the Easter story snack mix templates (4 per page that you can cut out, hole punch, and tie onto your treat bags) and the Bible verses that go along with each item!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pHJ7e6SDk93yWpI7ej6X50omKBYdSZJi/view?usp=drive_link

Make sure to like and share this post with others who would love a copy of these resources as well

The Easter Story Snack Mix Includes:
- Pretzel sticks to represent the cross
- Craisins to represent Jesus’ blood
- Marshmallows to represent the forgiveness of our sins
- Round crackers to represent the stone that was rolled away
- Goldfish to represent our calling to be fishers of men
- Sweet treat (M&Ms) to represent the invitation to taste and see that the Lord is good

This is such a great way to have fun with foods while teaching your child about the Easter story!

Encourage your child to be a light to others by making several snack mix bags and giving them to their family, friends, neighbors, etc. this Easter 🤍

Did you enjoy this post? Follow for more fun with food activities!

03/28/2026

While you’re shopping Amazon’s spring deals, don’t forget to add the Fun with Food card deck to your cart 🤩

Comment “CARDS” for a link sent straight to you!

This resource is perfect for:

- parents who know food play is important but don’t know where to start

- families who dread mealtimes because of the meltdowns and power struggles

- feeding therapists who want more tools in their tool box following a play based and evidence based approach to treat their clients

-anyone who loves making mealtime fun 🤗

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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