School days offer nearly endless opportunities for learning and exploration in the classroom, but education doesn’t have to end with the final bell. Parents can ensure their students feel energetic, creative and confident by inspiring snack choices that are as smart as they are fun to make together.

Whether you’re whipping up a snack to send to school or your little learners need an energy boost before starting afternoon homework, creative snacking can help encourage inspiration. As a trusted ally with better-for-you and convenient whole-fruit lunchbox snacks kids can enjoy, Sun-Maid offers these easy tips and ways to embrace the fun side of snack time.

* Keep It Simple: Look for recipes with five ingredients or less so your children can show their artful nature without becoming overwhelmed. Plus, this often leads to a more budget-friendly at-home treat.

* Shop Together: Gathering ingredients and equipment is an important part of any recipe, and bringing your future chefs along helps them feel like it’s their creation from start to finish. Additionally, some important life lessons can be learned along the way, like how to navigate the store and compare costs.

* Provide Kid-Friendly Instructions: There are many ways kids can lend a hand in making their own snacks, like mixing ingredients, washing produce or arranging a plate or platter. However, some steps are best left to the adults — make sure to do any cutting, slicing or dicing before letting children take the reins, for example, then just enjoy the creative fun.

With childhood favorites like crackers, marshmallows and vanilla yogurt covered raisins, Gimme S’mores Trail Mix offers a perfect way to get young minds thinking in the kitchen. A little guidance is all it takes to teach them each step of the recipe to make a crafty, delicious treat. Plus, with only a few simple ingredients that just need to be mixed together, it’s a low-stress, low-mess way to cook up creativity.

For a healthier version of a snack time superstar, Apple Nachos combine sweet apples like Honeycrisp, peanut butter and versatile, whole-fruit Sun-Maid Raisins. Naturally made with nothing but grapes and California sunshine, these sweet raisins have been trusted as a better-for-you snack for kids and grown-up kids alike since 1912.

With zero grams of added sugars, they give parents the confidence they need to choose snacks that provide both great taste and nutrition for a happy and healthy family. As a household staple, they can be enjoyed as part of tasty recipes or as a standalone treat kids crave and parents approve.

Gimme S’mores Trail Mix
Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup Sun-Maid Vanilla Yogurt Covered Raisins
– 3 cups graham crackers, assorted flavors
– 1 1/2 cups colored mini marshmallows
– 2 cups slivered almonds
– 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:

In large bowl, mix raisins, graham crackers, marshmallows, almonds and chocolate chips.

Serve immediately, or store in airtight container up to 1 week.

Apple Nachos
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 minute
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
– 5 sweet apples, such as Honeycrisp
– lemon juice (optional)
– 2 tablespoons peanut butter
– 1/2 cup Sun-Maid California Sun-Dried Raisins
Directions:

Wash and slice apples.

Arrange one layer of sliced apples on serving plate. To keep apples from browning quickly, squeeze lemon juice on top, if desired.

In microwave, melt peanut butter about 30 seconds until smooth.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon peanut butter over first layer of apples. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup raisins.

Repeat with remaining apples, peanut butter and raisins. (Family Features & Sun-Maid Raisins)