Game nights are fun for families as you bond and create memories with your children. How can you make your activities even more enjoyable? Set up a kid-friendly snack station so the little ones have treats to nibble on throughout the night. Here’s how you can put one in your home and game room ideas to make the appearance even more exciting.
How to Set up a Kid-Friendly Snack Station
Whether chips, cookies or candy, kids love snacks, so use these five tips for building a kid-friendly snack station in your game room.
1. Find Healthy Snacks
Game nights require fuel as your kids run around and enjoy themselves. When they want a snack, offer foods that will give them energy and the nutrients their bodies need. For instance, fruit is an excellent option because its carbohydrates provide glucose for your body. Complex carbohydrates like fruits, nuts and whole grains contain fiber and keep your kids fuller for longer.
2. Ensure They Like the Food
While healthy foods should be your priority, you should also ensure your children like the snacks you pick. Center your kid-friendly snack station around reliable foods you know they’ll eat. For instance, kids who like citrus fruit will be more likely to eat oranges, grapefruits, tangerines and other sweet treats.
Additionally, find healthy versions of the foods and beverages they enjoy or make your own at home. For example, pineapple orange juice is typically more nutritious when homemade because you can control the sugar content. Plus, the orange’s vitamin C boosts your immune system to fortify your kid’s health.
3. Let the Kids Pick the Snacks
While healthy snacks are the priority, letting your children pick some foods is OK. After all, a kid-friendly snack station should appeal to the little ones. Ask your children what they want to see in the snack bar and incorporate their choices. Picking their favorite foods will make your kids happy and increase their chances of eating the foods you serve.
4. Make Serving Easy for the Kids
Game night ideas may include you or just your kid’s friends. Regardless, you should make self-serving easy for the children, depending on their age. For instance, toddlers will appreciate premade bags with mixed foods inside for easy access.
Kids a few years older will be able to make their plates, so place accessible serving trays in the game for snack time. Letting the kids fix their plates increases independence and self-confidence. Still, you can keep a close eye if they need supervision.
5. Use Themes for Serving Snacks
How can you elevate your game night ideas with your snacks? Use themes to make your evenings more fun and your kids more excited. For example, you could correspond the colors of your food with the game you’re playing. Red, yellow, blue and green Uno cards could mean apples, bananas, blueberries and green grapes for matching colors. Make dice-themed brownies or cookies if you play a board game like Monopoly.
Game Room Ideas for Your Kid-Friendly Snack Station
A kid-friendly snack station is an excellent way to elevate the fun atmosphere. What can you do to decorate and make the whole place look special? Here are five game room ideas to complement your snack bar.
1. Display Racks
Display racks are a fun way to organize your snacks if you have small bags of chips, dried fruit or cookies. Put each bag on the rack and display them as if you’re in their favorite grocery store, letting them pick their favorite one depending on their preference for the night. Get a mobile rack with wheels or a countertop organizer for your game room.
2. Dry Food Dispensers
Another easy and creative way to store your food is to use a dry food dispenser. These mechanisms are popular in cafeterias and offices, letting you twist the nozzle and get whatever snack is inside. Put mixed nuts, granola, candy, cereal and other goodies inside the dispenser to give your kids easy access.
3. Popcorn Machine
How can you pay homage to your childhood? Get a popcorn machine to make this delicious snack at home as good as it tastes at the movie theater. Popcorn machines are just one way family game rooms save money because you can recreate the experience at home. These carts are easy to set up and leave in the game room for aesthetics and easy-to-access snacks.
4. Food Trays
Family game nights are fun until you see the mess created on the floors and furniture. How can you mitigate the chaos? Use food trays to help your kids keep their snacks where they should be. Sturdy trays will lessen the chance of spills and bring you peace of mind, especially if the food is around electronics.
5. Themed Decor
Game room ideas are easier to bring together if you have a theme to revolve your decorations around. Do you and your kids have a favorite board game, video game or movie franchise? Hang posters and coordinate your furniture to emulate a fan cave. Another option is to go retro with vintage signs, antique toys and other memorabilia from the past.
Crafting a Kid-Friendly Snack Station and Game Room
Family game nights are special, whether you play Monopoly, Candy Land or another popular activity with your kids. Game nights are more fun with tasty snacks and fun decor, so use these ideas for a game room and a kid-friendly snack station.
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