Activity:  Making Trail Mix

Focus of Activity:  Healthy Eating

Activity Setting:  Tasting Station

Curricular Area: 

• Health and Physical Development
• Language Development and Communication

As children make their own trail mix, they learn about different types of healthy foods.  They also become more familiar with vocabulary relating to different types of food (nuts, dried fruit, seeds, grains) and with the origin of the term “trail mix.”

Materials: Ingredients for trail mix (including a variety of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and non-sweetened cereal) displayed in separate containers, spoons, scoops (1/4 or 1/8 cup size), small paper or plastic bowls, printed directions* (in plastic sleeve for protection)

Suggestions:

1. Invite the children to make their own trail mix for snack.
2. Provide the necessary ingredients and call attention to the printed directions.
3. Discuss with the children the different types of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and grains in the cereal.  Display the containers (packaging) for the ingredients (e.g., cereal boxes, bags, etc.) so that children can see the pictures and names of each food item.
4. Discuss with the children the origin of trail mix – a snack developed by hikers as a type of food that is lightweight, easy to carry and store, nutritious, and good.
5. Encourage children to eat their trail mix as they hike a trail marked out in advance with chalk, flour, or cairns (rock pyramids hikers make to show the way through an area).

Engaging Parents: Give parents a copy of the directions for Trail Mix.  Encourage them to make trail mix with their children at home.

Trail Mix Directions:

1 scoop nuts (if there are nut allergies, subsitute with a different type of cereal or seeds).

1 scoop seeds

1 scoop fruit

1 scoop cereal

Mix together and eat.