Guide to Preschool Valentine's Day Party Food

Valentine's Day is a big deal in a preschool class. Valentine ideas include coloring pages, handmade envelopes, store-bought cards, and plenty of Valentine Day food. Speaking of food, do you know the hands-down best Valentine's Day party food for preschoolers?

Valentine Class Party: Timing is Everything

Hampered by curricula, nap times, the lunch schedule and early pickup times, it is easy to banish the Valentine class party to the end of the day. This is a mistake, since it will rush the festivities. Instead, start the preschool party early with some Valentine Day food that also doubles as a (semi) healthy breakfast.

Kraft offers an easy recipe for a puffed Dutch Nilla pancake that is easy to make ahead. One pancake requires three eggs, ¾ cup of milk, 20 Nilla wafers, eight strawberries, one banana and one teaspoon of powdered sugar. Beaten eggs and milk are combined with crushed wafers; the mix gets heated in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes and then topped with the fruit mix and sprinkled with sugar. Cut into wedges and serve.

Handing Out the Class Valentines: Finger Food!

Fortified by the Valentine Day breakfast food, the preschoolers are undoubtedly ready to hand out the class Valentines. This process may take a bit of time, since each wants to find just the right card to put into the friends' envelopes. Accompany the activity with a Valentine class party tray made up of pre-sliced apples in the shape of a heart. In the middle you might place some sliced strawberries. Counteract the carbohydrate overload with cheese bits - sliced mozzarella cheese sticks - that surround the tray.

Valentine Day Food for Lunch

Continue the Valentine class party for lunch by serving heart-shaped sandwiches with healthy meats, toppings and cheeses. Parent cooperation and participation makes this an easy task and also defrays the cost of the overall festivities. Accompany the sandwiches with chocolate chip cookies and a small dish of low-fat cherry or strawberry yogurt for dipping.

Mistakes to Avoid When Brainstorming Valentine Party Ideas

Valentine's Day may be the day for lovers, but as a preschool parent or teacher you will do well to police the little sugar hearts kids bring to school; some feature offensive messages that are inappropriate for the younger set.

Keep the Valentine day food as balanced as possible to circumvent a sugar overload. While sweets are unavoidable, offering proteins to prevent sugar highs and starting the day off with a solid breakfast avoids later behavioral problems associated with kids' overdoing the sweet stuff. Preschool teachers should remember to communicate early on with parents, confirm children's food allergies, assign dishes to be brought and also reaffirm the consensus on serving healthy foods in addition to sweets.

Resource:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/puffed-dutch-nilla-pancake-64203.aspx