Cereal – one of  North America’s favorite breakfast food. There are many creative things to do and ways you and your kids can play with this common food.

Tasty Math: Using cereal is a great way to practice math concepts with your kids, especially for visual and tactile learners. You could use different types of cereal to represent 1’s, 10’s, and 100’s for math problems including simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication. It’s math practice you can snack on after.

Edible Jewelery: Use O-shaped cereal and dental floss or licorice shoestrings to make edible and snack-able bracelets and necklaces.

For the Birds: Once in a while you go to grab the cereal and find a box of stale, unappetizing O’s. What to do? Create a treat for the birds. Use some yarn, knot the bottom and string the O’s. Tie around a tree branch in front of your window so you can watch the bird’s enjoy their treat. Make sure you DO NOT use a cereal with added sugar!

Cereal Bars: Take your favorite marshmallow & crispy rice treat recipe and substitute different cereals for a different cereal sensation. You can also slip some dried fruit and nuts in to make it more healthy. My favorite is crispy rice cereal with some toasted oatmeal, toasted pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries mixed in!

Savory Cereal: Another great use for stale cereal, toss unsweetened cereal with a little oil of your choice, and your favorite seasoning: a ranch dip mix, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, or whatever blend of spices your family loves. Spread out on a lined baking sheet and bake in a low oven (200 degrees F) stirring occasionally until they are dry and toasty. Keep an eye on them! Cool and enjoy.

What are some of your families favorite creative uses for cereal? Please share below!