Playtex Twist 'N Click Snacker and Bowl Review

As any toddler's parent knows, snacking is suddenly extremely important. A hungry toddler is a CRAZY toddler, if mine is anything to go by. She gets whiny, cranky, and wild if she does not have snacks!

Some days it feels like all I do all day is prepare food, with three meals and three snacks each day (okay, the last snack is just my hubby and I after Mia's gone to bed! ha ha!). And on days when we have errands to run or anything that takes us out of the house for any length of time, it can be a challenge to make sure Mia gets a healthy snack before the meltdowns begin.

So anything that makes it easier gets my attention! Playtex has a couple new products that do just that.

Mia knew these were for her and could not keep her hands off even for a moment!

The Twist 'N Click Bowl comes in a set of two (suggested retail of $7.99 in Canada). It has an audible click when the lid is properly sealed, and is guaranteed leak-proof! It has a spot for a name on the bottom in case you are sending it to day care or school, for example. It's just the right size for a child. Mia is not a big eater and would probably not finish a whole bowl at this point, but it's a great size for taking along to the beach, errand run, hike, long drive, or any time you might want a bit of snack for everyone (I confess, I like to share Mia's snack most times!). I think in future it will be a perfect size for packing in her lunch for school as well. 

The Twist 'N Click Snacker (suggested retail of $5.49 in Canada) is a great design for a snack container. It has a snap-on lid that twists around to the base, so food stays fresh when it's closed and it acts as an extended handle and a sturdy base when it's open. The lid that stays screwed onto the cup has a flexible opening that little hands can easily reach through for grabbable snacks. And the screw top has a nice feature of an arrow that points to where you want to tighten it to for the best seal. It's nice and light, easy for Mia to hold with the handle, and it is tough.

 Here is the Twist 'N Click Snacker in action. Mia can open the snap lid herself and twist it around to the base. She quickly got the hang of reaching in and pulling out the cereal I'd put in there for her. And the lid of the Twist 'N Click Bowl makes a great plate, apparently! I just hope the cereal all made it into her mouth and not down between the couch cushions...

 Here's the arrow that indicates the area for the best seal. You can't see too clearly, but it's really obvious where you need to close it to on the bowl.

Mm, perfect for strawberries!

 My favourite bits? I love that these are durable, portable, leakproof, and dishwasher safe. I love the fun colours they come in, too! We got the lime green and hot pink combination - nice and bright.

I also like that the Snacker doesn't spill the goods even when tipped over... My daughter can't remember to keep things upright at this age. 

Overall, great products. I'm torn between which I like best. I think the Snacker has fun functionality, but the Bowls might be more practical in the long run.

Mia's current favourite snacks are: berries, fish-shaped cheese crackers (or any kind of cracker, really), dry cereal, pudding (bad mum!), those squeezy applesauce pouches, hard-boiled eggs, olives, buttered toast fingers, and baked marinated tofu cubes.

 I could use some more inspiration. Mia's diet is pretty varied, but I tend to head for the same easy snacks time after time... What are (or were) your toddler's favourite snacks?

Toddler fun: Acrylic paint

If you're not afraid of a little mess, acrylics are fun with toddlers. I had some on hand so we brought them out to play. They are non-toxic and clean up with water and soap - off skin or plastic (or hair...), but do NOT come off many surfaces such as clothing. So wear a smock! We use an old, rather large t-shirt and cover the table with brown paper.