57 Easy Snacks for Kindergarteners and Preschoolers
Have little tummies that are always hungry? This collection of easy snack ideas for kindergarteners and preschoolers are great for packing for school, eating after school or taking with you on the go.
As a mom of three, I know how surprisingly challenging snack time can be. One day my sons love a dish, only to declare the next day that they hate it. I can’t be the only person who’s bought blueberries in bulk at Costco only for my children to decide they no longer like the fruit that week!
Making snacks for your children doesn’t have to be complicated. However, it does help to have a variety of ideas to pull from when you find yourself in a snack dilemma.
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Tips for Making Snacks for Kindergarteners and Preschoolers
Before we dive into the list, here are some of my top tips for picking the best snack for you child that will keep them filled and focused, while also helping their energy levels.
- First, don’t feel guilty buying store bought snacks! Any realistic parent understands that sometimes we need the extra help, especially when you’re short on time. In those cases, pay attention to the nutrition values so you can grab the healthiest options.
- Make snacks for your kindergartener that includes more than one food group. For example, if you’re making a carbohydrate heavy snack, be sure to also include some protein or fat. Pairing these together will help fill your child up quickly and also keep them full for longer.
- Snacks that have whole grains and protein will give your child extra fiber in their diet while also helping them feel full.
- Consider snacks that are freezable. Making a big batch when you have the time and freezing some means you can easily pull from your freezer stash in the future. Many of the recipes on this list can easily be doubled or tripled.
- Adjust the portion sizes for your own child, and make changes as needed. What might be perfect for one kid might not be enough for the next (or could be way too much). If you’re concerned about food waste, start with small portions or different sizes the first time you introduce a new snack to little kids.
- Offer items that they can grab on their own any time. In our home, this is fresh fruit. My children can grab an orange, apple or banana anytime they want off the counter. I also make individual servings of fruit cups and apple slices that they can find in the refrigerator drawer. The biggest reason I do this is to be sure they’re not filling their tummies up with empty calories, and to encourage healthy eating choices.
- Be realistic with your time. While some parents might have the extra time to make snacks every day from scratch, for others this might not be feasible (or might sound like torture). Choose snacks that won’t add extra stress to your plate.
Ingredients for Easy School Snack Ideas
Have these ingredients on hand to quickly and easily put together healthy snacks at home or to pack in school lunches:
- Raw veggies, including baby carrots or carrot sticks, celery sticks, sliced bell peppers. The different flavors pair well with a wide variety of dips!
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Fruit that’s prepped for little hands, like apple slices, banana slices
- Make your own fruit salad using strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and mandarin oranges. Berries are also yummy in a homemade fruit smoothie; just add a little low-fat milk and low-fat yogurt to the blender with it!
- Plain yogurt (tastes great with homemade granola bars)
- String cheese or sliced block cheese
- Whole-grain crackers (they’re the same every time, which is great to have as an option on the plate for picky eaters who might be hesitant to try new flavors or textures alone)
- Nut butters, like peanut butter and almond butter (as long as you have no risk for allergic reactions), or seed butter
- Healthy cereal, like whole-grain cereals or cereal without added sugars
- Older kids and more adventurous eaters might also enjoy things like cream cheese, cottage cheese
57 Snack Ideas for Kindergarteners
The biggest goal of this list was to gather a wide variety of different kinds of healthy snacks for kindergarteners that are easy to make and kid-friendly. These recipes also make wonderful preschool snacks.
We’ve included some traditional snack recipes, as well as options that are good for special diets, including gluten-free, allergy friendly, vegan and keto. If your child has food allergies, many of the other recipes can also still be made with allergy substitutions.
No matter whether your child prefers snacks with fruit, veggies, dips, breads, cereal or chocolate chips, there’s sure to be some winners on this list for your family. Choose 2 or 3 recipes to start, and see what they think!
Easy Snacks for Kindergarteners
Have little tummies that are always hungry? This collection of easy snack ideas for kindergarteners are great for packing for school, eating after school or taking with you on the go.
These banana and pear muffins are made with pears, bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg and warm melted chocolate chips. They're great fresh out of the oven or as a grab and go snack, too.
Sausage Balls are a quick, delicious bite-sized snack for little hands. Made with just 4 ingredients, they're packed with protein to keep little tummies happy.
Skip the sugar and embrace fruit goodness with these healthy homemade fruit roll-ups – just 2 ingredients & easy to make, with no extra equipment other than an oven needed.
This easy whipped feta dip is a filling after school snack that goes great with chips. Made with just 5 ingredients, it only takes 5 minutes to whip up.
No cooking, and served with a simple and delicious yogurt dip, watermelon fries are the perfect snack for kindergarteners on hot days.
How can you say no to delicious fresh fruit and chocolate? While maybe not the best idea for an everyday snack, strawberry nachos would make an excellent choice for an extra special day.
A healthy alternative to chips, roasted chickpeas make the perfect snack! Easy to make, filling and deliciously crunchy.
Broccoli Dippers can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes and are made with lentils, carrots, broccoli and seasonings. Coated in panko bread crumbs and shallow fried to give it a crispy outside texture, they're packed with flavor and go great with ketchup.
These sweet corn fritters are loaded with healthy, fresh vegetables, coated in a simple buttermilk batter, briefly fried and finished in the oven. They make a great snack or side dish, and are easy to make gluten free with some simple substitutions.
Tortilla pinwheels are ready in a snap and require no heat. They can also be made in advance and kept in the fridge until your kids are hungry.
Made with oats, yogurt, and almond flour, mini raspberry yogurt muffins are a delicious low-sugar perfectly sized snack to satisfy little bellies without spoiling dinner!
Bottomless pit tummies are your house? This quick and easy cake batter dip is made with just three ingredients: Greek yogurt, pudding mix, and sprinkles, and has 23 grams of protein!
Whipped Ricotta Dip with Sun-Dried Tomatoes is a creamy, bright dip perfect for pairing with crunchy veggies, crackers, or fresh bread. Or all three at once, if your child is a big dip fan!
So simple, but such a huge hit for little eaters. Chocolate, peanut butter and banana come together for a great snack for kindergarteners that's healthy and easy to make.
Made with ready rolled puff pastry, air fryer cheese straws are crispy and delicious, with a sharp cheddar flavor.
Frozen Yogurt Bark topped with mixed berries and crushed pistachios is super easy to make. It's also a no bake recipe, making it even easier on grown ups.
This quick and easy banana chocolate chip muffins recipe will surely become a go-to favorite recipe. It's the perfet way to use up those over-ripe banas!
These sweet-savory crunchy carrot fries when served with your favorite dipping sauce are a sneaky way to get kids to eat more veggies. Plus when they're arranged around the sauce, they resemble the sun.
Making pizza rolls in the air fryer requires a lot less oil versus the traditional method, which makes these a healthier snack option. Unlike the store brand frozen pizza rolls (like Totino's), these air fryer pizza rolls use ready made dough.
These Seasoned Ranch Pretzels are easy to whip up with pantry staples you probably already have at home. Make a big batch for an anytime snack.
This Easy Fruit Dip is light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. It's ready in just 3 minutes with 4 simple ingredients!
Eggs and cheese pack an extra protein punch as a snack. You can bake these cheesy muffins in advance and store them in the fridge to make weekday snacking even easier.
Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies with Dates (Easy, Gluten-free)
These healthy no-bake chocolate chip cookies are so quick and easy to make. They're also gluten-free, naturally sweetened with dates and made without sugar, flour and an oven!
elp your children fill up with a protein-laden after school snack with homemade peanut butter cheerios. Such a delicioius and simple snack for kindergarteners!
These Energy Balls are quick to make and require no baking. They're chock full of healthy ingredients, perfect to combat mid-morning energy slumps, which make them an ideal snack for school.
Hummus tastes great with so many things, including chips and raw veggies. This sweet potato recipe is sure to have your littles asking for rmore.
This recipe is made with steel-cut oats. They're whole grain and minimally processed, so they’re more nutritious than other types of oatmeal.
This delicious banana bread ticks all the boxes: it’s crumbly, moist, chewy, fluffy, uses less than 10 ingredients and is ready in less than an hour too. No special equipment needed!
Love apple chips? Turns out they're even yummier when made in the air fryer (and cook faster, too).
Veggie fans will love these yummy air fryer zucchini fries. Whether you call it breaded zucchini or breaded courgette, you will love the simplicity of this air fryer beginner friendly recipe.
These easy banana yogurt popsicles use 3 simple ingredients: bananas, yogurt and sprinkles. Sure to be a hit in your home, too!
This classic Canadian snack is a holiday favorite. It's basically nuts, pretzels, and cereals mixed with spices and butter and baked.
This recipe simplifies the traditional cooking method of plantain chips by using little oil while still achieving golden and crispy plantain chips.
Any parent can tell you that you can never have enough muffins when it comes to easy snacks. This blueberry buttermilk muffins recipe is simple to make and a great snack any time.
The yumminess of Jello with no sugar? A great option if you're trying to reduce the amount of sugar in your little one's diet.
Healthy Edible Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites (sugar-free and vegan)
Gluten free, allergy friendly and yummy tasting, snickerdoodle cookie dough bites take only 5 minutes to make.
How cute are these little ladybugs? While this recipe is vegan, you can add some mozzarella cheese if your child isn't.
Bite-sized treats are always a hit with the kindergarten crowd. Each of the 10 recipe flavors is gluten-free, dairy-free, and can be vegan as well.
This easy and delicious homemade applesauce recipe Is made with just 5 simple ingredients and is ready in just over 30 minutes. Make a big batch and enjoy it all week long!
Oven baked apple chips are easier to make at home than you might expect. With just 3 simple ingredients, they make a great snack for kindergarteners any time of the year.
Crunchy and irresistibly tasty, these gluten-free granola bars are the ultimate treat for anyone. The recipe is easily adaptable to add other mix in's too.
Need a heartier snack? These cute little corndogs are so simple to whip up and sure to fill their tummies.
So simple but sure to result in delightful giggles after school! You could make these with any kind of cereal if you prefer something without dyes.
These 5 ingredient peanut butter oatmeal balls are an easy and healthy recipe for kids to make all on their own (or help with). Made with peanut butter, oats and honey!
While this might *technically* be a breakfast food, fruit and cereal parfaits make a delicious and nutritious snack, too.
This banana bread is super soft with the perfect birthday cake flavor that is sure to win over even the pickiest of kids.
These whole grain bakery style chocolate chip muffins are delicious, with big crunchy tops just like at a bakery. Simple to make with some healthy swaps, as well as being freezer friendly.
Hidden Veggie Muffins: Zucchini, Carrot, Blueberry, Banana Muffins for Toddlers
On the outside these yummy muffins look like reguar blueberry muffins, but on the inside they’re packed with zucchini, carrot and banana, too. They're made with whole wheat flour, eggs and whole milk for protein and healthy fat, with maple syrup as a healthy sugar alternative.
Trying to avoid processed food? This delicious copycat recipe is sure to quench your craving without all the extra junk.
These filling granola bars are flavorful and packed with nutritious super foods like ground flax seed, chia seeds, and coconut oil.
Homemade Gluten-Free + Vegan Goldfish (Allergy-Free, Grain-Free)
Make your own goldfish at home that are top 8 allergy-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and secretly protein-packed.
Crunchy and great for parties or afterschool snacking, get the classic "nacho cheese" flavor everyone loves without all of the preservatives and mystery ingredients. This recipe is also gluten-free, allergy-free, and baked instead of fried!
Quick, easy and fun, rainbow fruit kebabs are a healthy snack anytime.
These bite-sized tarts are coconutty and buttery pastry puffs made with your favorite flavor of jam. A healthier option to store bought pastry!
Naturally sweet, loaded with energy, these vegan chocolate peanut butter energy balls are delicious, healthy and perfect for an after-school snack. They make a great on the go snacking option, too.
So cute and easy to make with fresh corn and pantry ingredients. Pair with your favorite dipping sauce.
Love regular cinnamon toast made in the toaster? Wait until your kiddos try it from the air fryer.
You might also enjoy these other kid-friendly recipes:
4 Ingredient Slow Cooker Chicken and Stuffing
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