Summer Fun 2026: Activities for Little Food Explorers
Summer is the perfect time to engage your little ones in fun, nutritious activities that promote healthy eating habits. Here are some exciting ideas to keep children aged 1-5 years entertained and learning this season.
Cooking
Rainbow Veggie Wraps
Did you know?
Involving children in meal preparation can increase their willingness to try new foods. Try and encourage your little one to describe the foods you are cooking with using their senses… “what does it smell like? Is it crunchy or soft?”
Ingredients
- whole wheat tortilla
- hummus or cream cheese
- red bell pepper
- grated carrot
- spinach
- sweetcorn
- red cabbage
How to make it
- wash the vegetables
- cut the vegetables
- lay out the tortilla on a plate
- spread a thin layer of hummus or cream cheese over the tortilla
- arrange the vegetables in rows to create a rainbow effect
- roll up the tortilla and slice into sections
Equipment
- child safe knife (eg. table knife)
- cutting board
- plate
| What the children can do – help choose and name the vegetables – wash and sort the vegetables by colour – help with chopping vegetables using safe knife skills – tear the spinach – spread the hummus or cream cheese – arrange the vegetables on the wrap in rainbow order | Skills children will develop – food confidence and trying new textures – colour recognition and pattern making – basic food preparation – kitchen safety awareness – safe knife skills – hand eye co-ordination |
Click on the links to find out more about safe knife techniques:
The Bridge
The Claw
Remember to always supervise your child when they are practising their knife skills.
For more information on tips and benefits of cooking with children, head over to our Cooking with Children section of the website.
Activity
DIY Beach
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside,
we do like to be beside the sea…
Join our NYLO characters Llewelyn and Ola on a trip to the seaside.
If you don’t have access to the beach (or if it is not beach weather) you can create your own beach at home…
You will need:
For the Sea
- Large shallow container (washing up bowl or similar, that can hold water)
- Beach towel (to go under the container to catch any spills)
- Toys (e.g. bath toys, or those that won’t get damaged if wet)
- Cup or measuring jug
- Net or sieve
For the Beach
- Moonsand (learn how to make it in our For Little Ones section)
- Large Tray (e.g. baking tray or similar)
- Cookie cutters or moulds
- Bucket and spade (or a cup and a spoon)
To prepare your Sea and Beach:
- Fill your shallow container to half full using tepid water. This will be the sea. Don’t forget to put your beach towel underneath this on the floor to catch any spills.
- Place your pre-prepared moonsand into the tray.
- Add your toys, cookie cutters, bucket and spade to your beach scene.
To play:
Show your child how to fill a cup/jug and pour it out again into the sea.
Encourage your child to try and catch the floating toys using the net/sieve.
Encourage your child to fill the bucket/cup with sand using the spade/spoon or using their hands.
Show your child how to make sandcastles.
Show your child how to make shapes with the sand using cookie cutters.
Let them get creative and draw in the sand using their fingers or make their own sand models.
Remember to always supervise your child around water.
| Skills children will develop – confidence with different textures – hand eye co-ordination – imagination and creativity – problem solving skills |
Beach Volleyball
All you need is an inflated beach ball or a balloon for this activity.
Throwing and catching a ball together is a great way to build connection with your child as well as being physically active.
How to play:
12months – 2 years
Tap the ball into the air and encourage your child to catch it or tap it back.
2-5 years
See if you can tap the ball back and forth between you and count how many times you can do this without touching the ground.
| Skills developed: – hand eye co-ordination – counting |
More activity ideas are available on the ‘For Little Ones’ section of our website.
Explore the Seashore
Invite your little one to look for things commonly found on the seashore. If you are playing at the beach, take a walk with your little one and see how many of these you can spot:
No beach? No problem!
You can cut out these pictures and place them around the home or garden for your little one to find and add them to their beach.
| Skills developed – language skills: this is a great opportunity to talk about the different objects when your little one finds them. |
