Spring is in the air and your children’s energy levels are most likely increasing at an exponential level. What better way to convert this burst of energy into a learning experience than with some cooking fun?
This bunny bait recipe is a fantastic preschool activity to enjoy with your child. Get them excited about the upcoming Spring season and tapping into their creativity with this quick and easy bunny bait trail mix.
Valuable Development
There are several activities that are great tools in helping with your preschooler’s development. Helping your child get their hands dirty in the kitchen is one of them, and is more valuable than you’d initially think.
Opportunity For Creative Development
There are great seasonal-themed learning opportunities, and Spring is one of them. You can use the bunny bait recipe to get your little one’s creative juices flowing. You can discuss with them the kinds of things we see around this time of year. If you have a yard, this would be a great time to walk through the greenery and better acquaint your child with different plants and insects.
Working through a simple recipe with your child is a great way to kickstart their social-emotional development. Watch as they develop their confidence and skill in the kitchen through a fun bonding experience.
In addition, encouraging your child to follow a recipe teaches them about the value of following instructions, learning to solve problems and act intentionally. During the activity, you can encourage conversation about the various steps, further contributing to language development.
Now, let’s get to the fun bit!
Bunny Bait Recipe
The bunnies are hopping about, just waiting to be found. All that’s left to do is grab your apron, wash your hands and head on over to the kitchen to make this tasty bunny bait trail mix.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of all the goodies that you’ll need to create the ultimate bunny bait.
- 2 x cups Rice Chex Cereal
- 2 x cups pretzel sticks
- Cooked popcorn (or kettle corn)
- White candy melt
- Spring-colored sprinkles
- Pastel-colored M&Ms
- Parchment paper
Method
Now that you’ve prepared all of your ingredients, it’s time to make the kitchen magic happen.
- Prepare your sheet pan by putting down a piece of parchment paper. This will prevent the tasty mixture from sticking to the bottom.
- Prepare your popcorn (or kettle corn) by following the instructions on the bag.
- Combine the cereal, the pretzel sticks, and the cooked popcorn in the pan and mix them all together.
- Melt the candy melts in the microwave (make sure that you use a microwave-safe bowl).
- Once ready, pour the melted mixture over the ingredients on the pan.
- While the mixture is still liquid, pour the sprinkles and M&Ms over the top.
- Wait for the mixture to set. Make sure that you don’t move the pan around too much until the bunny bait has set.
Top Tips For The Kitchen
To ensure a smooth-running, fun experience in the kitchen and a memorable family bonding experience, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
- Be aware of hot ingredients and surfaces – a few of the steps in the bunny bait recipe involve hot ingredients – such as candy melts and a hot popcorn bag. Make sure that your child practices safe methods by being aware of the heat and its risks.
- Hygiene is key – incorporating small tasks, such as washing your hands before working in the kitchen, or tidying up as you go, are great opportunities to teach best hygiene practices.
Bunny Bait And More
At Parkland’s Children’s Academy, we believe in making fun activities great learning experiences. Not only do we incorporate fun in the classroom, but we also offer engaging activities in our after-school program and encourage the family to do the same at home.
If you want to join the Parkland Children’s Academy family or find out more about our programs, then give us a call at (954) 688-5877.