Changing Textures

© Laura Nooney

Let toddlers experiment with food textures. Together explore how foods change while making a snack.

• Prepare peeled, steamed potatoes or plantains before doing the activity. Once cool, put them in resealable bags. Add a small amount of water, milk, or juice.
  • Give each toddler a bag and have them squeeze and pound the potatoes. Talk about how the food gets softer and mushier as they mash them.
  • Serve the mashed vegetables plain or help toddlers spoon them onto toast or rice cakes.
• Put aside small banana slices for each toddler. Then place the remaining bananas in a plastic bag or bowl and let children mash the bananas.
  • Have children taste and compare the banana slice and the mashed bananas.
  • Then use the mashed bananas to make banana bread or muffins, or freeze them to use in smoothies.
• Prepare gelatin with toddlers. Talk about how it changes as it sets.
• Let children mash watermelon in a bowl or a plastic bag. Put the mash into cups or an ice cube tray. Insert a craft stick into each one and freeze them to make popsicles.

You can move the texture and consistency exploration outside.

• Make mud pies and “mud soup.” Let toddlers decide how much water to add.

Let toddlers explore what happens to dry sand when they dribble a little water on it—or pour a lot of water over it! Help them experiment with ways to make sand stickier as they build castles or use sand forming toys.