10 Awesome Ways to Make Drinking Milk Fun for Kids

Milk is one of the most important things I feed my children every day.  I usually don’t have any problem getting them to drink their required daily intake, but sometimes I just want to make drinking milk more fun!

Have a Kiddo Who’s Reluctant to Drink Milk?

Here are my top 10 ways to make drinking milk fun, and 4 important reasons to drink it, too.

This is a sponsored conversation on behalf of The National Milk Life Campaign’s Back-to-School Program. However, all opinions are authentic and my own. Please see my disclosure policy.

10 Awesome Ways to Make Drinking Milk Fun for Kids

1. Silly Straws

I get the giant 40 pack of BPA-free silly straws.  They are such a simple way to get the kids excited about drinking milk – just pop one in their glass and serve!

2. Straw Glasses

Have you seen these?  My friend Jennifer posted a picture of her daughter enjoying her milk with some straw glasses, and I ordered a pair right away.  So fun!

3. Colored Ice Cubes

This is such an easy way to dress up a glass of milk.  Add some colored ice cubes – either the plastic re-freezable type or some regular ice cubes with a drop of food coloring added – for a colorful drink.

4. Fun Flavors

There are so many fun flavors you can mix into milk – from the basics like strawberry and chocolate to flavors like Rolo, or this one that makes your milk taste like a creamsicle!

5. “Frozen” Milk

For a healthy spin on a milkshake, you can blend 12 regular ice cubes with a cup of milk for an icy treat!

6. Cool Cups

A fun cup in your child’s favorite color, or with their favorite character on it, is an easy way to make any glass of milk special.

7. Sprinkle Rims

On days when you have just a little bit more time, this is a great option!  Simply wet the rim of a glass, pour some sprinkles into a shallow bowl or plate, and dip the glass rim into the sprinkles!  Pour in the milk as you would normally, and serve.

8. Flavor straws

These are so much fun.  They are just like a normal straw, but there are flavor beads inside of each one that flavor your milk.  There are so many fun flavors available – from Neapolitan to Cotton Candy!

9. Mixing Color Science Experiment

Play with your milk!  Mix in a couple of drops of different colors of food coloring and see what color you get!  This is a great way to get younger children interested in drinking milk – you can even serve half-portions to allow for multiple experiments in one sitting.

10. In a Milkshake!

It may not be the solution you want to use every day, but making a milkshake is a great way to make drinking milk fun and inviting for reluctant kids.  Surprise the kids with this seriously fun rainbow milkshake recipe.

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4 Important Reasons to Drink Milk

1. Did you know that children should have protein at every meal?

Milk provides about 8g of protein in an 8-ounce glass, which works out to about 25 cents per protein serving!  So milk is an easy and affordable protein choice, especially for sensory-sensitive kids or kids who aren’t very hungry in the mornings.

2. Milk is one of the safest & most minimally process foods. 

The simple pasteurization process makes milk safe to drink, and milk is often sourced and delivered locally.  Because it is safe, wholesome, and naturally nutrient-rich, very little has to be done to milk in the processing stages.  (Compare this to plant-based milks which contain very little nutrition on their own – most of the nutrients for drinks like almond milk are added during processing.)

3. Milk provides important nutrients our kids need.

Many kids are not getting their daily requirements of calcium, vitamin D, and potassium.  But all of these nutrients are readily available in milk, and milk is actually a better way to get these nutrients than using supplements or milk-like alternatives.

4. Drinking milk is doctor recommended!

I trust the American Academy of Pediatrics (along with the decades of research and hundreds of scientific studies they have to draw from), who have recommended that all children receive the benefits of milk and milk’s nutrients.  They have provided the following guidelines for parents and caregivers:

• 2 and a half servings of low-fat or fat-free milk & milk products each day for children ages 4-8
• 3 servings of low-fat or fat-free milk & milk products each day for children over the age of 8
• 3-4 servings of low-fat or fat-free milk & milk products each day for adolescents (for bone growth)

(Information provided by Registered Dietitian, Holley Grainger, and additional research from the American Academy of Pediatrics and MilkPEP.)

For more info on Milk and its benefits, visit MilkLife.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

More Fun Ideas from B-Inspired Mama:

    

This is a sponsored conversation on behalf of The National Milk Life Campaign’s Back-to-School Program. However, all opinions are authentic and my own. Please see my disclosure policy.