Cheese and Pretzel Brooms

What you need

• Shredded cheese, 1 cheese stick per person
• Plate or tray, 1 plate
• Pretzel rods, 1 per person, or soft breadsticks
• Chives, 1 long chive per person

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Gather the snacks and wash hands. Hard pretzel rods are a choking risk for young children, so for children under 4 use a soft breadstick, or skip the stick and let them nibble only the cheese strings.

1. Wash your hands and sit down at the table.
2. Unwrap your cheese stick and hold it in your hands.
3. Peel the cheese into thin strings with your fingers.
4. Pick up your pretzel rod. This is your broom handle!
   Ask: Which end do you think the bristles should go on?
5. Wrap the cheese strings around the end of the handle.
6. Tie your bristles on with a long chive. Ask for help if you need it
7. Make one broom for each person at the table.
8. Fly your brooms in a slow pretend race around the table!
   Ask: Where is your broom flying to?
9. Land your brooms and eat your snack. Yum!
10. Now make more, or show your friends! What kind of broom will you invent next?
    Ask: Could a broom be a different shape or flavor?

Play it again

• Broom parade: line up your brooms and name each one.
• Slow-motion flight: fly your broom as slowly as a sleepy otter.
• Twist the bristles: try braiding two cheese strings before tying.