Easy Halloween Snack Board
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Getting kids to eat dinner on Halloween is nearly impossible with all the activity happening at dinner time. Plus the kids are always too excited to sit for long. I have recently opted to have festive halloween snacks available in place of a full dinner on Halloween night.
This easy Halloween snack board presentation is of course fun, but the way that it is served (reminiscent of our weekly muffin tin dinners) tricks the kids into thinking that everything is a treat - even the fruits and veggies!
My biggest tip is avoid sacrificing foods the kids will actually eat for presentation. The goal is to get something in your kids’ stomach that isn’t candy. While sliced cheese isn’t as beautiful as baked brie (hold for drool), make sure you’re using things your kids like to eat.
Here’s what I like to include in my Halloween snack board for kids.
Deconstructed favorites
Think s’mores. Use graham crackers, chocolate in some variety, and marshmallows.
Cheese + Crackers
I mean, duh, right? Not only will my kids eat cheese until the cows come home, it is also usually in the festive Halloween color wheel.
Fruit but make it fun
The easy grab and go fruit and veggies should make an appearance on the snack board even if they will be left for mom and dad at the end of the night. To encourage the kids to grab them on their own, I like to add eyeballs or fun dips (read: ranch)
If you’re in a nut friendly house, you could slather peanut butter on celery and add eyeballs to that too. When it doubt, add some eyeballs.
DIY Elements
Don’t worry, the kids will do the grunt work here. These gingerbread house-esque Halloween cookie kits from Target are so fun! My kids will work throughout the day on their houses or tombstones. It’s a low effort festive way for little kids to celebrate and “help you in the kitchen”. If you’re obsessive (what, not me) you can also save one house to make yourself for the board.
Cookies + Candies
Required. Especially as a peanut allergy household, I make sure to have enough safe treats on hand in case they are bombarded with Reese’s cups only. Plus, I am big on offering a buy-in on any plate I serve the kids. Getting them to eat is half the battle, so if they start with a small chocolate and end with a handful of blueberries, that is a win in my book.
As far as the aesthetic of the board, I usually stick to a tradition Halloween color palette with orange, black, purple, and green. I grab any small (and washable) decor items I have (like skeleton hands and vampire teeth) and mix and match to fill the board and add some flare. I use reusable silicone cupcake liners to contain smaller items like candies or dips for the veggies.
