10 Ways To Get Creative With Your Kid’s Drinks
Children can be picky when it comes to drinks, which can make keeping them hydrated and healthy a challenging task, especially in the hot summer months. If your little one is tired of the same drink over and over, it may be time to get creative. Next time, fill their smoothie cup with something delicious, nutritious, and inventive. You’ll be surprised how willing your child is to try something new–as long as it’s fun and tasty!
10 Tips For Getting Creative With Your Kid’s Drinks
There are many ways to bring a little creativity into the kitchen when it comes to children. Here are a few clever ideas you can use to bring excitement and entertainment into your child’s day, ranging from healthy snacks to mouth-watering desserts.
Flavoured Water
Staying hydrated is extremely important, especially for kids. Water has many benefits:
● Aids brain function assisting with memory, mood, and attention span
● Helps with healthy weight maintenance
● Improves circulation
● Keeps bones and teeth healthy
Throughout the day, your child may be so engaged in activities that they don’t realise they’re thirsty. Worse, some kids find the flavourless nature of water boring, meaning they often don’t even want to drink it. Solve this problem by serving them flavoured water in a cup with a straw. Syrups and tablets are available to put in water, making drinking more exciting and delicious. When choosing your flavour, watch out for products with high amounts of sugar or other harmful ingredients. You can also flavour water naturally with mint, berries, and other fruits.
Slushies
Is there anything better than a cold slushie on a blisteringly hot day? Instead of taking a trip to the store to get something stockpiled with sugar and other additives, consider a natural fruit slushie. Fruit slushies are surprisingly easy to make with just two ingredients – frozen fruit and fruit juice or water. For the healthiest option, opt for natural fruit juice. There are endless possibilities – you can use apples, watermelon, strawberries, grapes, or mixed berries, depending on your child’s preferences. Blend the ingredients and fill up your kid’s smoothie cup.
Smoothies
The texture and fun colour of smoothies make them an especially fun drink for children – did we mention you can even sneak in some vegetables without your little one suspecting a thing? There are many different ways to make smoothies. To adjust the taste, you can use frozen fruit and vegetables, yoghurt, ice cream, peanut butter, chocolate powder, and vanilla. Sneaking in spinach or kale is another easy way to add some extra nutrients with changing sweetness.
Milkshakes
A yummy, creamy milkshake is sure to hit the spot if your child has a sweet tooth. All you need is some of your favourite ice cream, milk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to make a delicious treat. Keep it simple or go all out and top it with their favourite fruit or treats.
Lemonade
Lemonade is a classic drink that any child loves, and there are many pleasant spins you can put on it to keep things interesting. For a purely indulgent treat, try frozen whipped lemonade, where the refreshing tang of regular lemonade and the luxurious creaminess of a milkshake collide. Blend a simple lemon syrup, ice, coconut, and lemon juice to make this thirst-quenching treat. Put it in a cup with a straw, and you’ve got your child’s new favourite treat. It may even turn into your favourite too!
Magic Drinks
Making a magic, colour-changing drink is much easier than you might think. All you have to do is place dried food colouring in your kid’s smoothie cup, disguised underneath a few ice cubes. Next, take virtually any clear or light-coloured liquid and let your child watch as you pour it into the cup. Watch their eyes widen with amazement as their tasty drink transforms, magically changing colours.
Holiday-Themed Drinks
There’s always a holiday coming up, and kids love a reason to celebrate. Take inspiration from anything – Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, or even the time of year. Choose flavours and colours that match your theme and add decorations, like miniature umbrellas, gummy worms, or other candies. You can even change the menu for meals to suit your holiday theme, making it a full-on celebration that your little one will love!
Glow-In-The-Dark
A glow-in-the-dark drink is fun for any kid: especially those who love science or spooky stories. The secret ingredient is surprisingly easy–tonic water. Tonic water contains quinine, which comes from the bark of a cincocha tree. Quinine glows when exposed to blacklight, so all you need is a powdered drink to mix with your tonic water and a blacklight to give your child a fun-filled experience while keeping them hydrated. They’ll beg for this one in their kid’s smoothie cup again and again!
Punch
Punch is a fun, colourful drink that makes a delightful, tasty treat for special occasions. You can purchase your own punch packets or combine soft beverages to create unique flavours. Try mixing blue Gatorade with Sprite and plop some gummy shark candies in for a summer-themed surprise. You can also try putting the punch in a coloured cup and adorning it with fruits or maraschino cherries.
Frozen Hot Chocolate
Frozen hot chocolate is delicious, unique, and incredibly easy to throw together in a pinch! Blend chocolate milk, hot chocolate mix, and ice until you achieve a smoothie-like consistency. Finish off with a swirl of fresh whipped cream and mini chocolate chips. This decadent drink is perfect for when your child can’t help but crave something sweet.
Next time you fill up your child’s smoothie cup, fill it with something creative and interesting to keep them engaged, healthy, and happy. Whether you decide to keep it healthy with a simple smoothie or make them a special treat, one of our inventive drink ideas is sure to hit the spot and make your little one’s day.
