Ideas for easy after school snacks for kids, back to school lunch ideas, finger foods for kids, or healthy treats for kids to eat after school. Many of these are easy recipes kids can make on their own or for food prepping ahead of time for grab and go snacks perfect for your family’s busy schedules!
35 Easy After School Snacks For Kids And Tired Parents!
The last thing you probably want to do is to try to come up with after school food ideas when you’re tired, the kids are tired, you may have just gotten home from work, and everyone is asking what’s for dinner.
We’ve put together this easy list of snack ideas for kids to help make after school time less stressful — enough for over a month of school day snack recipes!
Simple Kids’ Finger Foods Ideas
Apple Slices with Peanut Butter
Sliced apples paired with a scoop of peanut butter for dipping.
(Even as an adult, this is still one of my favorite snack ideas!)
Cheese and Crackers
A simple combination of cheese slices and whole-grain crackers.
Yogurt Parfait
Layer yogurt with granola and a handful of fresh berries.
SHORTCUT SNACK TIP: On the weekend before school, cut up different fruits and place them in baggies. Kids can then grab a yogurt and their own toppings on their own.
Veggie Sticks and Hummus
Carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and bell pepper strips with a side of hummus.
Apple Nachos
Sliced apples drizzled with almond butter and sprinkled with granola.
LEARN HOW TO MAKE AN EASY APPLE SNACK BOARD
Frozen Banana Pops
Bananas dipped in yogurt and frozen, optionally rolled in crushed nuts or sprinkles.
Great to make ahead at the beginning of the week!
Trail Mix
A mix of nuts, dried fruits, and a few chocolate chips or pretzels.
Apple Fries
Easy apple fries in the air fryer and ready in minutes!
Mini Sandwiches
Small sandwiches made with whole-grain bread, cheese, and turkey or ham and cut with fun cookie cutter shapes.
Smoothies
Blend a banana, some frozen berries, and milk or juice for a quick smoothie.
Need a non-dairy smoothie option? This is our favorite no dairy smoothie recipe without yogurt.
Flavored Popcorn
Air-popped popcorn with a sprinkle of cheese or a dash of cinnamon or other fun popcorn seasonings like these.
Fruit Kabobs
Skewer chunks of fruit like grapes, strawberries, and melon, or any favorite fruits – just put them on a skewer and add an easy fruit dipping sauce like this.
MORE SCHOOL RECIPES: 30 Back To School Lunch Ideas
Ants on a Log
Celery sticks filled with peanut butter and topped with raisins.
Quesadilla
A tortilla with melted cheese, folded and cut into triangles.
Granola Bars
Store-bought or homemade granola bars.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Pre-boil eggs at the beginning of a week, peel them so they’re ready to slice eat.
BE SURE TO TRY THIS EASY PEEL BOILED EGG RECIPE
Frozen Grapes
Grapes frozen for a refreshing treat.
I like to bulk freeze snack bag sizes of grapes ahead of time and they’re always in the freezer for a grab-and-go snack (and work well for a grab-n-go breakfast for kids when you’re running late, too).
Fruit Leather
Store-bought or homemade fruit leather strips.
Rice Cakes with Nut Butter
Rice cakes topped with almond or peanut butter and banana slices.
Pita Bread with Dip
Pita bread triangles with a side of tzatziki dip or hummus.
EASY SNACK RECIPE: Try these quick & easy air fried bagel chips instead of pitas!
Mini Muffins
Homemade or store-bought mini muffins with some cutup fruit of choice.
Turkey and Cheese Roll-Ups
Slices of turkey and cheese rolled up together and secured with a toothpick.
ALSO TRY THESE MAKE-AHEAD ROLL UP SNACKS
Avocado Toast
Whole-grain toast topped with mashed avocado and a sprinkle of salt.
Cucumber Sandwiches
Sliced cucumber rounds topped with cream cheese and a sprinkle of herbs.
Also try this easy cucumber dip that my daughter loves with pita chips.
Mini Pancakes
Pre-made mini pancakes with a side of maple syrup or flavored yogurt for dipping.
SHORT CUT SNACK TIP: Buy the pre-made frozen mini pancakes and keep them in the freezer!
Frozen Yogurt Bites
Bite-sized dollops of yogurt with berries on a wax paper on baking sheet and then frozen.
Apple and Cheese Skewers
Cubes of cheese and apple chunks on a skewer.
MORE SNACK BOARD IDEAS: EASY CHARCUTERIE BOARD
Pita Chips with Salsa
Pita chips served with salsa or guacamole.
Cottage Cheese with Fruit
A bowl of cottage cheese topped with pineapple or peaches.
SHORTCUT SNACK TIP: Buy the individual cottage cheese packs (like yogurt packs) and keep them in the fridge with a bag of fruit for a grab and go snack idea.
Edamame
Steamed edamame with a sprinkle of sea salt.
This is another favorite at our house! If your kids don’t like edamame, try air fried asparagus for vegetable finger foods for kids!
Pretzels And Dip
Pretzels served with strawberry yogurt dipping sauce.
Energy Balls
No-bake energy balls made with oats, honey, and nut butter.
Mini Bagels with Cream Cheese
Mini bagels topped with cream cheese and a sprinkle of chives or even a little cinnamon.
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Thinly sliced sweet potatoes baked until crispy or air fried for a quick and easy snack idea.
Fruit Smoothie Popsicles
Leftover smoothie mixture frozen into popsicle molds.
I hope these easy after school snacks for kids help with back to school food ideas or simple snack foods before dinner!
