March 4 - National Snack Day

 Now here's a holiday I can happily celebrate all day long!

Books

9781682634820

Spreckle the dragon lives on a farm with her loving family of chickens. It is a fine home, but she is fed up with their diet of dried corn and slugs. Spreckle explores the bounty of snacks the farm has to offer, from hay to pig slop. Tragically, nothing hits the spot.

Life without a decent snack is hardly a life at all, as far as Spreckle is concerned. Will this hungry dragon with a burning need for the perfect snack ever find satisfaction?

Before you read, tell your kids you are planning a snack for them. Would they like some tasty grasshoppers? Pig slop? Hay? No??? Well, what WOULD they like to eat? OH, okay! After we read the story, maybe they can help make a tasty snack you will both enjoy :)

9780062689825

Everybody knows monsters love chicken nuggets, but Frank loved them more than most.

This is a problem if you happen to sell chicken nuggets, and Celeste sells the finest nuggets around. But Frank scares her other customers away, so she's forced to cook up an eating contest of monstrous proportions to get rid of him. If Frank wins, Celeste will make him free chicken nuggets for life. But if he loses, he must leave and never return.

It starts with Frank eating a single chicken nugget.

Then two. Then double that, then double it again...

Just how quickly does this doubling add up?

And how many chicken nuggets can Frank really eat?

Shh...we'll be sneaking some math in with this one down below! In the meantime, Frank is just an adorable monster. Can you create some friends for him? What would they eat?

9780762498079

Why is there no ham in hamburgers? How did we make ice cream before we could make ice? How did hot dogs get their name? From the origins of pizza (which got a big boost from Clarence Birdseye, of all people) to the Cornell professor who invented chicken fingers, There's No Ham in Hamburgers has all the ingredients for an entertaining and educational middle-grade read. Packed with informative sidebars, recipes, and experiments, along with fabulously funny illustrations by Peter Donnelly, this book is a reading recipe that kids will sink their teeth into!

See also: There's no Cream in Cream Soda by the same author. This title is chock full of ideas for History and Geography extensions. It even includes recipes and science experiments!

Community

For many people, snacks are a luxury. Just eating regular meals is not something they can count on. Is there a way your family can help with food insecurity in your community? Some schools send backpacks home with kids full of foods to tide them over through the weekend. Grab a box of your favorite snacks and donate it! 

Do you live in a multicultural area? Invite your friends and neighbors to prepare a snack that they loved when they were growing up, and enjoy an afternoon party where you sample each others' favorites. Make sure to ask everyone to bring the recipe to share!

Math

One Chicken Nugget is a great introduction to either addition or multiplication. Relate it to money: if I paid you one cent today to do your chores, and two cents tomorrow, and so on, how much money would you be making each day by the end of the month? How much money would you have earned in all (add one cent plus two cents plus 4 cents...). Try putting pennies into a jar for 10 days, following this pattern. How much money do you have now? Pick out a snack for the family that you can buy with it!

Art

One Chicken Nugget features several food trucks. Are there any food trucks where you live? Check a few out this week and try some snacks that are new to you! Then stop by the recycling center or an appliance store for a big box, and create your own food truck! What will you serve? How will you advertise it on your truck? What will you charge?

Music

Do you have a favorite snack, something that just sets your heart singing? Compose a song to let the whole world know how you feel! For inspiration, check out one of our old friends, The Pizza Guy.

(He does burritos, too!)

Web Sites to Explore

Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids

16 Healthy Eating Activities for Kids

Healthy Eating Games and Activities