Every year, I think about getting my nieces and cousins something “nutrition-related” for their birthdays or for Christmas. This year, I decided to let you in on my searches and give you a list of what I’ve found of interest. Part One was about physical activity, Part Two is about nutrition.

NOTE: some of my links pertain to a specific age group, but there are other toys in that category that may fit a different age. Also, most of my links come from Target, but I’m not promoting this store over any other store.

Cookbooks and books:

Depending on the age of the child, a cookbook geared towards kids may be a great way to get the whole family involved. If you are looking for ways to get your kids more interested in cooking and eating healthy, getting them active in the kitchen is a great idea! Search Amazon.com (for example) for several cookbook suggestions. Make sure that the recipes do not have a lot of ingredients and that each recipe has nutrition information with it so that you can help you kids learn about nutrition.

• One in particular that I think is good for kids is called Creative Kids: Snack Art. Check it out!
• eNasco also has other great books for kids to teach them about nutrition and healthy eating. You should check out this site! (I can’t choose between a lot of them!)

Fitness4kidz website also has some books about vegetables and fruits

Kitchen and food toys:

If you would like to get them to understand more about food but aren’t ready for them to actually be in your kitchen, get them toys related to the kitchen, such as:

• Play kitchen–so your young ones can play in their kitchen and not mess up yours!
• Food groups–101-piece plastic set of different foods so your child can learn about a large variety of foods. Or Check out one from General Mills, which is a 117-piece plastic food set.
• Play food wooden basket –a food basket of several common food items from the grocery store (you could also make your own from boxes of food that you are done with–like an old cereal box, pasta box, etc)
• Cutting food box–if your child sees you cutting up fruits and vegetables or using a knife and wants one too, this is a good toy to help them learn about fruits and vegetables while being safe.
• Play food basket –I think this is cute!!! It’s like they are shopping in the grocery store. They also have other food baskets to choose from (sandwiches and so forth).
• There are also healthy food snacks kits, which come in a lunch box for the kids to play with. What a great way to teach them what healthy snacks are!
• There are also multicultural food kits, which are plastic foods from different ethnicities–I think they are lacking in their food options however.
• For younger kids, there are also fruit and vegetable plush toys (these are expensive but there are cheaper ones available. Check the website for options).
• And, we can’t forget about nutrition puppets!

Games:

Maybe your child is into games, and you would like then to play with something that is interactive and fun, yet educational. The following games may be of interest to you!

• Bingo, which you could also make online.
• Food Memory Game
• Farmer’s Market board game–this game helps you be more familiar with farmer’s markets, fruits, and veggies while still playing a game!

My post would not be complete if I didn’t mention what NOT to get them for the holidays or for their birthday: a play drive thru set.