IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE FOOD. I saw this adorable idea on No Time for Flashcards and had to create my own. The idea behind this homemade felt game is to mix and match your way to a balanced breakfast, which is quite fun if you’re 3. Now, it’s just an idea so the system is imperfect. But each color includes an egg, a piece of toast and some fruit. In my book, protein + whole grains + fresh fruit = a good way to start the day, or at least a conversation with the kids.
The whole thing is very simple to make but a bit time consuming, admittedly. I bought 6 pieces of felt at Michael’s for $.29 each: blue, red, orange, green, purple and white. Each sheet does double duty: cut out a piece of fruit, piece of toast and an egg yolk from ONE EDGE, then use the rest of the sheet for your place mat.
The white sheet gets cut up for egg yolks.
I went online and searched for images for everything before I made little templates out of plain white paper: grapes, blueberries, strawberries, orange slices and apples. Then I just did a free-hand drawing on the paper, cut it out. I traced the paper template onto the felt, then cut that out. The only fruit that I added ink to afterward were the blueberries because they just looked like a blob without it. Otherwise, I think it’s cuter to leave the shapes plain. One tip: I used measuring cups to trace around to create the orange slice, apple and egg yolks. Then I traced a bottle opener for the grapes, and a pencil eraser for the blueberries. The very round edges make it look more finished, I think.
Phoebe, who is 3 1/2 LOVES this game deeply and once she gets everything sorted out, immediately squeals out a request to “Do it again!” Estelle, who is 2, isn’t much of a matcher now but certainly likes to feel included. She gets 2 sets and mixes as she likes.
We’re working on a banana set now. Michael’s was out of yellow when I went. That’s another life lesson to impart, another time. You can’t always get what you want right when you want it. But for now, we’re all set.
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