Strawberry Spiders

Welcome to spider week! We're starting with a snack that's more cute than creepy. A strawberry body, a little round head and eight pretzel legs make a friendly spider your little one can build, count and eat.

What you need

• 1 or 2 large strawberries, tops cut off

• A soft fruit for the head: a banana slice, a blueberry or a grape cut into quarters

• Thin pretzel sticks, broken into short pieces

• A little cream cheese or yogurt to help the pieces stick

• Optional: mini chocolate chips or a dab of cream cheese for eyes

How to make it

1. Make the body. Set the strawberry flat side down on the plate.

2. Add the head. Press a banana slice against the front of the strawberry. A dab of cream cheese helps it stay.

3. Count the legs. Line up eight pretzel pieces first and count them together: "One, two, three... eight!"

4. Add the legs. Tuck four pieces into each side of the strawberry, or lay them flat on the plate next to it.

5. Give it eyes. Add two tiny dots of cream cheese. Then say hello to your spider!

Why we love it

Counting out eight legs is real number practice, and it sets up one of this week's big ideas: spiders have eight legs, and insects have six. Building the spider piece by piece is also great work for little fingers.

Make it your own

• Spider family: Make a big spider and a little spider. Which one has more legs? (Trick question: they both have eight!)

• No pretzels? Use thin apple matchsticks or cucumber strips for legs.

A quick safety note: For kids under 4, cut strawberries into quarters after building, quarter grapes lengthwise and break pretzels into short pieces. Check labels for wheat and milk allergies. Always have your child sit while eating.

Shop these items

Find the books and supplies from this week in one place. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

• Shop everything for Week 7: Spiders

• Starter supplies: the basics we use most weeks

• See every week in our Amazon storefront

More for this week: see all our Spider activities, Letter G activities and Number 7 activities.

Every child is different. Please use your own judgment about what's safe and right for your family. Always supervise children during activities and while eating, and adjust foods for allergies, dietary needs and your child's age and chewing ability. Sprocket & Sprout shares these ideas for fun and learning only. We are not responsible for any injury, allergic reaction, damage or mess that may result from trying them. This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.