Z goes to the Zoo

Tuesday, 6/4/13 - Z's AM preschool class had a field trip to the zoo. And unlike her PM school, siblings weren't allowed on the zoo trip. So I wasn't able to go with her this time. I figured it would be good for her to go without me, especially with this group of kids with various special needs. Plus I hate other people's kids, and despise chaperoning. Sometimes extra kids make for a nice excuse!

Since I happened to be unable to sleep anyway, the night before after packing her lunch, I decided it would be nice to decorate her bag and box and water bottle with some drawings to make up for not going with her.

Disposable "Zoo" Lunch. For the Zoo!

GF PBJ; organic sugar snap peas, carrots, grapes and berries, and kale chips; lemon drink powder, water

I didn't want anything immediately perishable, so I didn't pack meat or dairy. I wasn't sure how hot it would be so I didn't want to risk freezing a yogurt tube only to have it go bad anyway. We've had a hot Spring and Summer! So instead of my favorite zoo field trip go-to of meat and cheese animal cracker stackers, I did PBJs.
I used my bear and elephant mini Noah's Ark cutters to make mini sandwiches, and the giraffe and lion on slabs of crosswise-cut carrot. I used disposable cupcake liners to separate the foods, but I was particularly pleased with the zebra cupcake liner.

For fun and pizzazz, I made a fruit kabob on a tinsel food skewer. And packed a folded paper towel underneath to help fill space, but also to use as a napkin! Everything was packed into a repurposed plastic clamshell from something. Berries? Cookies? Not sure.

I know it's not a ton of food. But she's used to snacking on a larger meal throughout the day, so tends not to eat a ton in one sitting. Plus she cries all the way home if her leftovers get thrown out. So on the days I'm not going with her to keep track of her lunch and save the extras, I pack smaller, and come prepared with healthy snacks in the car when I pick her up after.

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I filled the letters of her name on the (reused) brown paper bag with various animal prints. Because I'm fun like that. Then, since I was doodling around with a Sharpie anyway, I started making animals along too. And then I started coloring them in with whatever crayons were handy. Then the back looked boring, so I drew an alligator and flamingo.

Since the zoo they were going to also has an aquarium, I went with an underwater theme to cover up the product label on her "bento box."

I did a frog and a flying crane on a strip of paper wrapped around her mini bottled water to cover the label. In for a penny, right?

I took lots of photos, since I knew my art would get thrown out. But I'm used to it. I make edible art on a regular basis already, right? But apparently one of the parents couldn't bear to see them get tossed, so she saved them and had the teacher send them home with us!

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