Cereal Necklaces with my Toddler: A Fun, & Tasty Activity that also helps with Fine Motor Skills.

If you’re looking for a simple, engaging, and also tasty activity to do with your toddler, then cereal necklaces are such a perfect choice! This really is great for developing fine motor skills, encouraging creativity, and even sneaking in a little snack time. Plus, it keeps those little hands busy without a big mess—win-win for mama and baby.

SCROLL TO THE END TO SEE A VIDEO OF US MAKING NECKLACES OR CLICK HERE.

Why Cereal Necklaces? I rememerbed over Valentine's Day that I loved those candy necklaces as a kid. They were fun and tasty but filled with crappy dyes and sugars and I certainly wasn't going to give that to my child so randomly came up with the next best thing and turned it into a fun after nap craft snack activity that was a total hit. We giggled, snacked as we made our necklaces and talked about the colors and flavors of cereal, too. Plus it's great for:

- Fine Motor Skill Development: Stringing cereal onto a string or thread helps toddlers strengthen their pincer grasp and hand-eye coordination.

- Sensory Play: They get to touch, feel, and explore different textures, which is great for cognitive development.

- Snack on the Go: It a craft AND a snack all in one.

- Fun and Customizable: your kiddos can create patterns, mix different cereals, or just do whatver design they want. For older kids try having them create a pattern by either creating their own or by mimicking one that you make first.

You need any cereal that is in an "O" shape with a hole in the middle. But for us, ingredients also matter, too. Not all cereals are created equal, especially when it comes to what we feed our family. Many conventional cereals are loaded with artificial dyes, preservatives, and inflammatory ingredients that have been linked to behavioral issues and other health concerns in children. Instead, we love using dye-free, organic, and gluten-free cereals with simple, real ingredients. Here's what we used:

✔️ Lovebird Organic Cereal – (Strawberry) Organic, paleo, grain-free, no refined sugar, and made with clean ingredients.

✔️ Seven Sundays Cereal – (Real Berry) A nutrient-dense option made with whole food ingredients and no artificial junk.

✔️ Three Wishes Cereal – (Unsweetened) Gluten-free, grain-free, high-protein, and perfect for little hands!

Each of these cereals were different sizes and shapes and colors so it was easy to differentiate and create patterns if we wanted to. I could easily say things like "let's do a flower next" (the Seven Sundays cereal looks like flowers. These brands not only taste great but also support better digestion, sustained energy, and fewer sugar crashes, making them a much healthier choice than conventional cereals.

What You’ll Need:

- String of some kind - we used THIS lanyard string because it wont go limp and be easier for them to thread.

- Cereal with holes - such as Lovebird, Seven Sundays, or Three Wishes

- Tape - to tape one side down to the counter. I used this one from Souper Cubes.

- Scissors - for adult use to cut the string around 12-18 inches

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut a piece of string long enough to slip over your child’s head when tied. Tape one end to the counter so it doesn't move around a lot and makes it easier to grow their necklace.

2. Show your toddler how to slide each cereal piece onto the string. Do the first one for them holding the end of the lanyard string with one hand and using the other hand to pick up a piece of cereal and thread it onto the end of the string. Then let them do the second and third and fourth but you continue to hold the lanyard string. After they have got it down with the stringing of the cereal pieces, help them hold the lanyard string with one hand and let them do it on their own. It helps with lots of hand eye coordination and also multitasking with both hands doing different jobs. Encourage them to experiment with colors and patterns—it’s a great way to introduce early math skills!

3. Once they’ve finished stringing all the cereal, tie it in a knot or a bow. The lanyard string was a little hard to tie right away but I prefered it over another kind of string that was yarn or hariy. Also it was totally doable just had to tie it well.

4. Put it around their neck like a necklace and let them enjoy their tasty masterpiece!

This simple, mess-free activity is perfect for rainy days, playdates, or just a fun way to keep little hands busy. By choosing dye-free, organic cereals with real ingredients, we can make snack time healthier without sacrificing fun!

Have you made cereal necklaces with your toddler before? Let me know how it went!