Thanksgiving treat for kids

This pretzel rod snack is one of those Thanksgiving treats kids will love. By getting kids active in cooking, children can develop so many skills. So, why not combine the excitement of Thanksgiving cooking with the task of helping kids develop motor skills. These turkey pretzel rod snacks are kid-created and will be a Thanksgiving dessert kids will love this year!

Thanksgiving treats for kids can include turkey pretzel rod snacks, a thanksgiving dessert made by kids!

We made these turkey pretzel rod treats with the kids one afternoon as a cooking with kids project to get us in the Thanksgiving mood. Thanksgiving treats kids make get the whole family involved in the cooking process, and make holiday cooking fun. An easy turkey themed snack like these turkey pretzel rod snacks are a thanksgiving dessert made by kids that also help them build fine motor skills, executive functioning, and other essential skills.

Here is more information on how cooking helps kids develop fine motor skills.

Here is a blog post describing how cooking helps kids with direction following.

Thanksgiving snack for kids to help with. Turkey peanut butter pretzel rod snack

Turkey Pretzel Snack for Kids

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Turkey themed snack. This Thanksgiving dessert that kids can make is perfect treat for kids this Thanksgiving.



To make these cute turkey snacks, you’ll need a few essentials.

  • Pretzel rods
  • Peanut butter (Melted chocolate would work too.)
  • Brown sprinkles or Fall sprinkles
  • candy eyes
  • candy corn
  • yellow m&ms
  • Twizzler licorice stick
  • Chocolate (melted)
Use peanut butter to make quick thanksgiving treats kids will love.

Start by covering one half of a pretzel rod with peanut butter.  

The kids loved doing this part.  It was very messy, but very fun.  Lots of giggles happened.  Lots of hand wiping, but lots of smiles 🙂 We used a knife from our plastic cutlery set for kids for spreading the peanut butter.

Kids can roll the pretzel rods in sprinkles to make these pretzel rod turkeys.

Roll the peanut butter in sprinkles.  You’ll need to pour more sprinkles over the pretzel rods to get all of the peanut butter coated in brown.  Watch for sneaky fingers stealing sprinkles.  It happens.

Sprinkles for a turkey pretzel rod snack for kids.

“Glue” on the candy eyes with a bit of peanut butter.  You can use melted chocolate in these turkey snacks need to be transported.  

Cooking offers kids a chance for fine motor work.



Cute Thanksgiving Treat

Take the cute Thanksgiving treat factor up a notch with the details.

Press a yellow m&m into the peanut butter between the candy eyes.  Asking children to gently press the treats into the pretzel rod snack is an opportunity to work on precision, dexterity, pincer grasp, and proprioception.

Snip a small sliver of the Twizzler for the turkey’s gobbler.  Use a pair of child friendly scissors and ask the kiddos to cut the licorice for a scissor skills activity they will get a kick out of. The kids thought this part was genius!  “It looks just right, mom!”  

Use the melted chocolate to stick the candy corn feathers into place on the back of the turkey.  We just stuck the candy corns into the peanut butter since we were letting the snacks sit out until later to try them.  But, you’ll want to definitely use the chocolate “glue” to keep the candy corn feathers in place.

Cute turkey snack for kids made from pretzel rods.

Enjoy!  

More turkey activities you will love:

Easy Turkey Crafts

Cardboard Tube Turkey Craft

Free Turkey Theme Therapy Slide Deck

Turkey and Thanksgiving Fine Motor Activities

Thanksgiving Fine Motor Kit

Thanksgiving Fine Motor Kit, on sale now.

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

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Thanksgiving treats for kids can include turkey pretzel rod snacks, a thanksgiving dessert made by kids!