Fun Summer Activity - Make Veggie Critters with Scallion Bacon Ranch Dip!!

This project kills two birds with one stone;  A family fun activity as well as getting your kids to eat their vegetables!  My kids LOVED to make these lovely little veggie critters and couldn't wait to eat their creations.

I've learned, over the 5 years that I've been a mom, it is difficult to get your kids to eat their vegetables.  From the moment they're babies, you have to do the airplane to try to get the peas into their mouths or mixing the peas or green beans into their mashed potatoes telling them it's a new "recipe" they can make... Anything to make them think eating their vegetables is fun.  Well, why don't they PLAY with their food?  

What a great family summer project this is!

Break out the bell peppers, mini cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, broccoli and carrots as well as some Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix and GET GOING!!  

HOW DO I MAKE THE DIP?

1 packet Hidden Valley® The Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
2 8 oz. tubs reduced fat cream cheese

Scallions

Hormel Real Bacon Bits

Instructions:

1. Add the seasoning mix to the cream cheese.
   
2. Stir until well combined.
3. Snip the scallions and add to dip.  The amount is your preference.
4. Add the hormel bacon bits
5. Stir
6. Using a variety of vegetables – and a little imagination – you can build critters with your child. 

HOW DID WE MAKE CRITTERS?

LADY BUGS:  Cut grape tomatoes down the middle into two sides.  Take black olives and slice them into small bits for the spots.  Attach "spots" with some of the dip to keep it on the tomato.  

Slice a small sliver of one of your mini cucumbers for the "leaf" that the lady bugs sit on.

BUTTERFLY:  Cut one small side of a bell pepper, cut that in half and shape it to resemble wings.  Cut one half of a mini cucumber for the body of the butterfly.  Again, attach wings to cucumber with some dip.  Use baby carrots for the antennae

Use Broccoli to make the "trees".  Attach the trees upright to the plate with dip as well.

OF COURSE, these are just ideas.  This is how we made our critters.  Feel free to make your own with your imagination!!  

My girls were VERY amused that the dip could also be used as a "paste" to keep the pieces in place.

My girls were so proud of their creations!

And they enjoyed chowing down on it too!

ENJOY!!  Let me know if you try this great project. :)

This post is part of a blogging contest from the TwitterMoms community. There is a chance this post could be selected to win a $25 AmEx Gift Card, so wish me luck! For more details, you can view the contest page here (link to: http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/share-your-veggie-critter)