From Picky to Playful: How Food Play Transforms Mealtimes

The information here is strictly educational and not medical advice. It should not substitute professional medical consultation.

Is your child refusing anything green? Do you feel like a short-order cook making multiple meals every night? You're not alone. Research shows that picky eating affects between 13% and 22% of children at any given age, and up to 40% of cases last longer than two years (1). But here's the encouraging news: transforming those moments of food refusal into playful adventures can help break down barriers to trying new foods.

Understanding Food Play and Picky Eating

Food play isn't just about making a mess (though that can be part of the fun!). Hands-on food experiences significantly increase a child's willingness to try new foods (2). When your kid interacts with food without the stress of having to eat it, something remarkable happens – their natural curiosity takes over. This is especially important since research shows that picky eaters often:

• Eat a limited variety of foods

• Require food to be prepared in specific ways

• Show strong likes and dislikes for certain foods

• Are less likely to accept new foods (1)
  
  

Why Stress-Free Food Play Works

Traditional approaches to picky eating often involve pressure to eat, which can backfire. Studies show that parent-child struggles over food are significantly more common in families with picky eaters, with up to 62% of parents reporting frequent mealtime battles (1). Food play flips this dynamic by:

• Creating positive associations with new foods

• Reducing anxiety around unfamiliar vegetables

• Making food exploration fun and pressure-free

• Building confidence through hands-on experience
  
  

Turning Your Kitchen into a Playground

Here are some stress-free ways to get your picky eater exploring:

1. Sensory Adventures

• Create "touch and feel" boxes with different vegetables

• Make colorful food rainbows

• Play "guess the food" using blindfolds

2. Creative Food Art

• Design faces using various fruits and vegetables

• Build "food landscapes" on plates

• Create edible sculptures

3. Kitchen Science

• Conduct floating/sinking experiments

• Watch vegetables change color during cooking

• Explore how foods change texture

4. Playful Preparation

• Use fun-shaped cookie cutters

• Create "food trains" with different ingredients

• Make "monster sandwiches"

Even 5 minutes of food play can shift the dynamic. Try letting your child sprinkle cheese on their food or arrange veggies on their plate.  Food play doesn’t have to be extravagant and requires a ton of setup. 

Take Emily, a mom of two who dreaded mealtimes until she introduced food play. Suddenly, broccoli ‘trees’ became her son’s favorite part of dinner. A little bit goes a long way.  

Tips for Success with Your Picky Eater

Research shows that parents of picky eaters often fall into patterns that can unintentionally reinforce selective eating, such as:

• Preparing separate meals (58% of parents)

• Struggling over food types

• Frequently commenting on eating habits

• Offering rewards for eating (1)

Instead, try these stress-free approaches:

1. Keep it pressure-free and avoid negativity (3)

2. Model eating fruits and vegetables and unfamiliar foods (3)

3. Have family meals where all members of the household eat the same food (3)

4. Celebrate small wins: Even touching a new food is progress

5. Make it fun: The more playful the activity, the more engaged your kiddo will be

6. Stay consistent: Research shows that regular exposure to new foods matters and it can take 10-15 taste exposures before they accept it (4,5)
   

Ready to Transform Mealtimes?

While picky eating is a normal phase, it doesn’t have to control your family’s mealtimes. By incorporating food play into your routine, you can turn food refusals into fun, meaningful connections.

Want more creative strategies and support? Join Bite Sized Academy for expert guidance, engaging activities, and a community of parents transforming their picky eaters into food adventurers.

Join Bite Sized Academy Today and start your journey to happier, healthier mealtimes!

• Disclaimer

  Medical/General: The content, information, opinions, and suggestions listed here have been created with typically developing children and babies in mind. The information here is generalized for a broad audience. The information here should by no means be used as a substitute for medical advice or for any circumstance be used in place of emergency services. Your child is an individual and may have needs or considerations beyond generally accepted practices. If your child has underlying medical or developmental differences, including but not limited to prematurity, developmental delay, sensory processing differences, gastrointestinal differences, cardiopulmonary disease processes, or neurological differences, we strongly recommend you discuss your child's feeding plan with the child's doctor, health care provider or therapy team. By accessing this site and the information in it, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. By using and accepting the information on this site, the author (Cierra Crowley) is not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of any suggestions discussed. It is important to talk to your child’s pediatrician or medical provider to start anything new or make any changes.

  Affiliation: this page contains affiliate links from which I can earn small commissions (at no additional cost to you).

• References

  1. Mascola, A. J., Bryson, S. W., & Agras, W. S. (2010). Picky eating during childhood: a longitudinal study to age 11 years. Eating behaviors, 11(4), 253–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2010.05.006

  2. Coulthard, H., & Sealy, A. (2017). Play with your food! Sensory play is associated with tasting of fruits and vegetables in preschool children. Appetite, 113, 84–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.02.003 

  3. Taylor, C. M., & Emmett, P. M. (2019). Picky eating in children: causes and consequences. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(2), 161–169. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665118002586 

  4. Anzman-Frasca, S., Savage, J. S., Marini, M. E., Fisher, J. O., & Birch, L. L. (2012). Repeated exposure and associative conditioning promote preschool children's liking of vegetables. Appetite, 58(2), 543–553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2011.11.012 

  5. Dazeley, P., & Houston-Price, C. (2015). Exposure to foods' non-taste sensory properties. A nursery intervention to increase children's willingness to try fruit and vegetables. Appetite, 84, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.08.040