Food Preparation with Toddlers: Apple Sauce

This is an easy seasonal snack to prepare with toddlers. The boys enjoy it served with yoghurt as an afternoon snack.

All you need is a few apples. Peel and chop into pieces and throw them in a pan with a little water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until quite soft. If there is too much liquid cook for a while with the lid off. Cinnamon, vanilla, or other spices can be added if desired.

Setup for chopping apples

When I do this activity with toddlers I start by peeling an apple and cutting it into 2-centimeter slices for them to cut into smaller pieces. As they work I peel and chop the rest of the apples and top up their pile as needed.

Once it is finished we let the apples cool a little before mashing. I usually invite the child to mash the apples with a small potato masher and then transfer them to a serving bowl using a spatula.

Setup for mashing the cooked apples