We’re starting to hit the trails as a family. Since we have been out of the hiking game for several months now, we are slowly working our boys back up to longer distances, and longer distances mean more breaks. To avoid complaints of being hungry while hiking, we decided to create a kid-friendly DIY trail mix.
How to Make a Kid-Friendly DIY Trail Mix
This may sound silly, but there really isn’t a right or wrong way to make a trail mix. What we did was choose a mixture of salty and sweet options that we know our boys love. Though I couldn’t convince them to use dried fruit, they were very happy with their options and so excited to customize it themselves.
What We Used
Here are a few of the options we gave our boys, as well as some additional option ideas for your little.
- Marshmallows
- Raisins
- Peanuts
- Cheese Crackers
- Chocolate Chips
- Pretzel Sticks
- Honey Oat Cereal
- Dried Fruit
- Popcorn
- Nutritional Yeast
- Sunflower Seeds
To help keep germs out of the main packaging and make things super easy, we placed each snack item into Dixie® multi-purpose 5 oz. cups. We actually snagged two packages of the retro cups and I’m obsessed. Did you know the first Dixie® multi-purpose 5 oz. cups came out in 1910 as the “Health Kup” to prevent the spread of germs and diseases?!
Side story, I remember using these cups when I was a kid. My great grandmother had a dispenser that held the little cups. When we would stay the night with her, we would feel so cool using the cups to rinse our mouths after brushing our teeth. Well, flash forward and on the back packaging of these cups, there are little facts about the brand. Turns out that little cup holder came out in the 1930s! That’s so wild!
Anyways, using the Dixie® multi-purpose 5 oz. cups helped me be present in the moment and not worry about the kids accidentally breaking a dish or tossing snacks everywhere, which any mom can appreciate. Not to mention, this allowed each kid to easily see exactly what options they have to work with. Once a cup was emptied of its snack, we would refill as needed. Bodie, of course, decided to start snacking on anything he could during the process. #toddlerlife
We used reusable silicone zip lock bags to store their mix in until our hike, but you can use any type of baggy that works for your family.
How our Kid-Friendly DIY Trail Mix Turned Out
Letting them create their own kid-friendly DIY trail mix means no complaining about who got more of what, or not wanting something inside the mix and having to toss it. Each kid got exactly what they wanted. I’m not going to lie, I snuck a little taste test of each one because mom life, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Next time you are headed out on a hike, or running errands, or really anywhere that a kid might start craving a snack, consider throwing together a kid-friendly trail mix to keep them happy and full. Also, if you’re interested in snagging some retro Dixie® multi-purpose 5 oz. cups of your own, you can do so here.
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