Let your kids play with their food! Take the elements of a salad such as sliced red pepper, cucumbers, avocado, carrot sticks, lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, bean sprouts, and nuts and have each person make a face out of these elements on a plate. A tomato placed on top of a cucumber slice makes a compelling eyeball, and an avocado slice curves to make an elegant eyebrow. Lettuce and bean sprouts lend themselves nicely to hair and beards. Once you’ve had enough with faces, you can move onto making animals, cars, boats, planes and houses!

The above cat was made by a grandmother at a community workshop.

This idea is adapted from the book Home for Dinner, by Anne Fishel.