Kid Friendly Fruit Kabobs w/o Skewers?

[kcghee]

Hello All....

I'm having a birthday party for my 4 year old. In addition to the regular hotdogs, hamburgers & cake, I'd like to serve fruit kabobs... I'm afraid that the skewers holding the fruit together maybe a choking hazard for the kids. Does anybody know of an alternative that I could use to hold the fruit together. Somebody had suggested coffee stirrers?

Thanks in advance for your help!

KC

[Emme]

i don't know how many kids you're having, but i did the food and cake for a friend's kids' birthday party recently (5 year old twins, but the ages of the kids ranged 2-6)... we went to the 99 cent store and picked up a stack of small ice cube trays. the kids had fun putting different foods and dips into different cubbies. for those that were "separate eaters," as in don't want one food touching another, it was great. for all, it was unique fun... just a random thought.

fwiw, i agree with others re potential waste... kids aren't like me (or some other adults) that will find opposite taste minded people upon which to pawn the fruits i dislike...

[cheesecake17]

Went to a kids party once where everything was cut in kid sized pieces. Ice cube trays were used instead of plates, with a place card for each kid. The craft was "make your own placemat"

[Maggiethecat]

You could stick a single piece of fruit on the end of a thin pretzel stick and just let the kids grab what they want. That way if you are serving strawberries, bananas, and watermelon, and someone doesn't like bananas they can just avoid them. You could also serve with various dipping sauces (chocolate, caramel, whipped cream, etc.) and there really wouldn't be "double dipping" since they'd all be bite-sized.

[tzurriz]

Rosemary sprigs would be my suggestion, but honestly, 4 year old's should be able to handle skewers but they would be just as happy with bowls of fruit. Keep each type separate, and let them choose the fruit they want.

[HillJ]

I wouldn't use rosemary sprigs at all. Those needles can poke and get stuck in a 4 year olds throat. Plus the fragrance can be over powering. Fine for adults; not young children.

But I absolutely agree that a very basic fruit bowl option is a better choice. Some children are allergic to certain fruits and some are very fussy about textures.

[tzurriz]

I guess I wasn't clear, take the rosemary leaves off first. ;) my yard is full if rosemary and the kids are all over it.

[HillJ]

Ah! I have rosemary in big pots all over my property in CA. But I still wouldn't use the sticks with 4 year olds. The bark is notty and my mind tends to wander on what our kiddos can do with a few branches...but hey that's me.

[tzurriz]

We're talking 4 year olds. They can turn marshmallows and worms into weaponry. Lol.

[HillJ]

I'd still take an eye poke via marshmallow or gummy worm over a rosemary branch. :)

FWIW, fruit cups for 4 year olds is my rec.

[HillJ]

A few repurposed ideas:
Plastic straws, buy the super big, super thick ones like they use in ice cream stores.
Plastic ice cream pop holders can be used as a holder and a short stick; just take off the plastic top you fill the ice cream in.
Plastic ice tea stirrers.

[chowser]

Long lollipop sticks. You can buy longer ones at Michael's or other craft stores. Use a marshmallow at the end so they don't fall off. If you want to get all Pinterest-y, cut the fruit into flower shapes.

http://www.bakersroyale.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Fun-Fruit-Ideas_Bakers-Royale.jpg

http://blog.dollhousebakeshoppe.com/2...

[JudiAU]

I have a 3 and a 5 year old and don't think the skewers would be a problem. Except maybe to some parents.

But from personal experience, I don't think kids that age prefer them to say, a big pile of fruit they have easy access to. They look pretty sure but will result in a lot of waste. I blame this trend on bloggers and pinners. Usually each kid will eat a lot of X and be happy about it rather than want to sample a lot of things and usually the quantities will work out. Older kids are more likely to enjoy the variety/color of skewered fruit. Another option is to make fruit-specific skewers.

[valerie]

Completely agree on fruit-specific skewers. If a skewer has, let's say, strawberries, canteloupe, honeydew and grapes, my son would eat the strawberries and grapes and ditch the canteloupe and honeydew.

It sounds like a nice idea, but a fair amount of work, and it's kind of wasted on 4 year olds.

[kcghee]

Thank you for all the suggestions.... I think popsicle stick will be the best solution!!!!

[hotoynoodle]

recently saw frozen chocolate-covered kiwi slices on popsicle sticks and boy that looked yummy. it was dark chocolate, so more for adults, but no reason you can't do something similar for kids, like with bananas. could even be frozen and made a few days ahead.

[aasg]

I'm not sure if this still wouldn't be a safety concern at that age, but popsicle sticks?

[pinehurst]

Right...I was thinking it would depend on the fruit, and if they'd be immediately consumed. I would use bananas and raspberries as the most user-friendly fruits....the chocolate/vanilla dip will act as a moisture shield on half the stick, and I'd serve immediately, not overloading the stick.

Of course, little hands can also pick up and grab strawberries, banana slices, grapes, etc, too in the cups described.

Orrr...If you wanted to get all fancy, you could put the fruit in mini ice cream cones or make "cups" out of thin rounds of sugar cookie dough pressed in a mini muffin tin.

[pinehurst]

Gawd coffee stirrers are no better!

Have you heard of Pocky sticks? They're a very thin cookie candy, not too sweet, rather like grissini. I find them in the Asian foods aisle of my local store. One end is typically dipped in chocolate. If you're careful, these should work beautifully.

[critter101]

I think pocky sticks will break because of the juice from the fruit, and also the weight. I thought of pretzel sticks, but you'll have the same problem with those. But you can serve bite-sized pieces of mixed fruit in small disposable clear plastic glasses.