Turn meal or snack time into a literacy activity! Food such as mashed potatoes, pudding, or applesauce make for a great medium to draw letters and shapes in. Another idea is to have a letter themed plate! A “P” lunch or snack might contain foods such as pretzels, pears, pudding, potatoes or peanut butter on pumpernickel bread. Explore the sounds of the letter “R” with raspberries, raisins, radishes, ravioli, rye bread, or even ranch dressing. The possibilities are wide open!

Writing and talking is one of the 5 early literacy practices supported by Every Child Ready to Read® that will help build the important six skills: print awareness, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, and print motivation. Perhaps it is not great manners to play with your food, but as a multi-sensory medium, it works great to reinforce letters and their sounds. (And it is delicious, too!)

Every Child Ready to Read® is a project of the Association for Library Service to Children and the Public Library Association, divisions of the American Library Association.