Summer time calls for lip-smacking smoothies, delicious ice-candies and lots of chilled fruits. While kids have a great time gorging on these, we say let them get their hands dirty too! Being out in the sun all day might not bother the kids, but it’s important for you to make sure they’re hydrated enough. You can easily make this fun for the both of you by helping the little chefs make some summer special snacks. We’ve put together some recipes which are bound to be a hit amongst the little ones. These recipes are a perfect springboard for hours of summer fun, not to forget the extra bonus of nutritious snacking!

1. Watermelon Crush:

Who doesn't like juicy, cooling watermelon? Made up of 92% water, they are great for hydration and help clean out toxins from the body too.

Ingredients:

• ½ a watermelon – scooped and chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon

How to make:

1. Get your child to fill the watermelon chunks and lemon juice into a mixer grinder/ blender and show them how to blend it until smooth
2. Transfer the mixture into a shallow, freezable container and get your child to place it in the freezer
3. Ask them to come back after 2 hours. Get them to gently scrape the top layer with a spoon. Once they get to the unfrozen mixture, make them place it back in the freezer. Repeat after another 2 hours
4. Freeze until solid (around 6 hours depending on surface area of container)
5. Lend a hand to your little one to scrape the mixture with a spoon and let them fill the crush in a cup or a bowl to serve 

Because no kid ever said no to an ice-candy!

Ingredients

• 2 small bananas (cut into chunks)
• 10 kiwis (peeled and cut into pieces)
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 kiwi - sliced

How to make:

1. Let your kids place the bananas, kiwis and yogurt into a mixer grinder/ blender and help them blend it until smooth
2. Get them to fill ice candy moulds with the mixture. (If you don’t have moulds, get creative and use a container you can make-do with. Insert an ice cream stick so you can pull it out later)
3. Place a slice of kiwi into each mould for a fancy touch
4. Freeze and devour once ready!

 3. Fruit rainbow

A fun way to make kids eat fruits is to serve it in an interesting way. Better yet, let them decorate the plate the way they want! Choose fruits of varying colours to create a rainbow of your choice.

Ingredient suggestions:

• Red – strawberries, cherry tomatoes
• Orange – musk-melon, mango
• Yellow – pineapple, banana
• Green – kiwi, green grapes
• Violet - black grapes, black plums (jamun) 

How to make:

1. Get your kids to wash all the fruits thoroughly
2. Help them with cutting the fruits into bite-sized pieces
3. On a serving plate, ask them to arrange the fruits into the shape of a rainbow in order of colors (red, orange, yellow, green, violet) or let them make their own designs!

You could help your kids to prepare the ingredients, and let them toss it together themselves, so they can get a kick out of imitating the deft movements of the roadside chaat vendors! 

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups soaked and boiled kabuli chana (white chick peas)
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 cup paneer (cottage cheese) cubes (Optional)
• 1 spring onion
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves
• Salt to taste 

How to make:

1. Peel and chop the cumumbers and spring onions if your kids are too young to use a knife
2. Get them to mix the boiled chick peas, cucumbers, spring onions, paneer cubes (optional) and mix well
3. Now they can add the tomato ketchup, chaat masala, coriander and salt
4. Attack!

A delightful sweet and spicy snack with an attractive appearance makes this a must-try for this summer holidays!

Ingredients

• 6 bread slices
• 2 tsp mixed fruit jam
• 2 tsp cheese spread
• 1 tsp mustard (rai/ sarson) sauce
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp green chutney
• A few thin slices of coloured capsicum (red , yellow and green)
• 2 tsp finely chopped black olives (can be skipped)

How to make:

1. Remove the crust from all the bread slices and discard them
2. Get your kids to flatten each bread slice using a rolling pin
3. Place a bread slice on a flat surface and ask your kids to spread 1 teaspoon jam over it
4. Place another slice of bread and get them to spread 1 teaspoon cheese and ½ teaspoon mustard sauce over it
5. Put the third slice and ask them to spread ½ teaspoon butter and ½ teaspoon green chutney over it
6. Place some cut pieces of capsicum and olives on one side of the loafs and tightly roll the three slices from the capsicum side to the other end to make a roll
7. Cut the roll into 7 equal parts and serve! 

Mind you, the kids are probably very excited about cooking with you so don’t you take them lightly! Ideas to make this even more fun for them:  

• Complete the experience by giving them your apron. Click some pictures coz we know kids can look cute in just about anything!
• Announce in the house that everyone’s soon going to enjoy a dish made by the little chef
• Give them the liberty to get messy but also teach them to clean up later

Happy Summers!

Recipe and image courtesy:

https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/10-amazing-summer-foods-for-kids-to-keep-them-energetic-1680088

https://twohealthykitchens.com/fruit-rainbow-pot-gold-fun-breakfast-idea-kids/

https://www.tarladalal.com/Pinwheel-Sandwiches-2315r

https://www.tarladalal.com/Chana-Chaat-2583r