As the weather heats up, frozen treats are on everyone’s minds, including the three-year-old.
My husband and daughter recently went on a daddy-daughter date and got ice cream cones.
They came home later with big grins, an unparalleled sugar-high, and one of them had a ring of chocolate around her mouth.
Well, I knew I was never going to top that, so I waited a week (so the ice cream memories had faded somewhat) and introduced this easy sensory activity that knocked my girl’s socks off.
How to Make Frozen Yogurt Drops
You’ll need a few basic supplies, (plus a freezer… unless it’s below zero outside where you live…):
- zip-top bag (sandwich size is fine)
- scissors
- Greek yogurt
- berries and/or sweetener
- baking sheet
- wax paper
We only ever have plain Greek yogurt on hand, so I sweetened that up by tossing a handful of sweet, ripe blueberries, a bit of honey, and a splash of milk in a blender with the yogurt.
Flavored yogurt works great, too, if you’re a flavored yogurt person.
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Next, I put the yogurt in a zip-top bag and sealed it up. (Ella couldn’t resist smooshing it around a little.) Then I cut off the bottom corner of the bag to create a makeshift piping bag.
I lined a baking sheet with wax paper and handed the bag over to my three-year-old to pipe dots and blobs.
The yogurt came out a bit fast at first. I probably had added a bit too much milk so it was more of a smoothie consistency than an icing consistency.
No biggie though. I added more yogurt to the bag and smooshed it around to mix.
It was pretty easy for my girl to squeeze out drops of all sizes.
She easily figured out how much pressure to apply and how long to squeeze for to get the size she was going for.
(At least, I imagine she was going for different sizes. She could’ve been trying to get all the same size, I really don’t know.)
Freezer Time
Once the sheet was full of yogurt drops, I stopped the yogurt piping party and whisked the baking sheet of yogurt drops away to the freezer.
There was still some yogurt left in the bag, and Ella was dying to eat it, so I let her have it straight from the bag.
She loved it.
I may have to serve her yogurt in a bag from now on.
Three or four hours later, we pulled the yogurt drops out of the freezer, and they were frozen solid.
Thanks to the wax paper lining, they popped off easily and I was able to put them on a plate for a quick pic before they got gobbled up by a hungry little girl.
Sensory Experiences in the Kitchen
When I search for sensory play ideas, I find a lot of interesting ones like sensory bags, butter slimes, moon sand, and sensory bins galore.
I often forget that our everyday life is rich with sensory experiences. We don’t have to try too hard to incorporate sensory play into our playtime.
I especially love sharing sensory experiences of cooking with my daughter, because it’s something we both love doing.
Oftentimes I’m using a hot stove or something else that’s too dangerous for her to help me with, so making frozen yogurt drops in the kitchen was exciting for both of us.
She got to do most of the work with just a little direction from me, and we were both pretty thrilled about the results.
A simple activity like this also helped strengthen her hands and helped her develop fine motor control as she worked to squeeze the bag and put the yogurt drops where she wanted them to go.
I can’t wait for you to try it with your kids!
Your Turn to Make Frozen Yogurt Drops
Here’s the recipe and instructions. Hope you and your kiddos enjoy making and eating these frozen yogurt drops!
Frozen Yogurt Drops
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (plain or flavored)
- 1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)
- 1 tbsp honey or other sweetener (optional)
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Blend Greek yogurt, honey, and blueberries (if using) with a tiny splash of milk. If the consistency is too thin (smoothie-like), stir in more yogurt to thicken up.
- Pour the yogurt mixutre into a zip-top bag and seal.
- Cut one of the bottom corners off to create a small opening in the bag.
- Pipe yogurt onto the wax paper-lined baking sheet.
- Freeze the yogurt drops for 3-4 hours or until frozen solid.
- Remove from the wax paper and enjoy.
We’ve also piped and frozen baby food pouch purees. Just twist off the lid and squeeze directly onto the wax paper-lined baking sheet.
Frozen yogurt drops were definitely the favorite treat this week. Make it with your toddler for an unforgettable afternoon experience.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!