A Is for Appetizing Alligator

Snacks that start with A - an appetizing alligator

If the sight of vegetables makes your little one say “see you later, alligator,” this snack is for you!

Alligators dream of eating lunch with their big teeth and powerful jaws, but this healthy and delicious recipe turns the tables on those ravenous reptiles.

It may be a healthy treat, but assembling and eating this appetizing alligator is an adventure, and I don’t think you’ll have any trouble convincing your kids to stick around for the fun!

And though alligators and preschoolers both turn up their noses at a plate full of vegetables, your little ones won’t be able to resist this adorable snack. If the look on our small cook’s face is any indication, this ABC Snack recipe is a winner!

Appetizing Alligator Veggies and Dip

Print Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need to make this snack:

1 large avocado
1 large and 1 small cucumber
1 black olive
1 carrot
1 green bell pepper
salt and pepper

Directions:

Cut avocado in half length-wise and remove pit.
Spoon avocado out of shell and set aside shells.
Mash avocado and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fill one half of the shell with mashed avocado mixture. Place on plate to form the alligator’s head.
Slice cucumbers, bell pepper, and carrots.
Chop slices of carrots into teeth-shaped pieces.
Use two small cucumber slices to form eyes at one end of the filled avocado.
Use carrot pieces to form teeth around the edges of the filled avocado.
Position the remaining cucumber slices behind the avocado to form the alligator’s body and tail.
Position four bell pepper slices to form the alligator’s legs.

Variations:

Stir any of your favorite guacamole ingredients into your avocado mixture.
Use zucchini slices instead of cucumber.

Teaching Tips

While you enjoy your veggies and dip, practice saying /ă/–/ă/–alligator with your child.
How many words can you think of that start with the sound of /ă/ as in alligator?
Read the Mercer Mayer classic There’s an Alligator Under My Bed together while you eat your alligator snack.
Download ABC Snacks: Tips for Working on Pre-Reading Skills for more teaching tips.

Want More Snacks that Start with A?

For snacks that start with A and many more, get the entire series of ABC Snacks Cookbooks with more than 40 snack recipes for your preschoolers!

Photo credit: Rachel Neumann

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JAMB Sweet S

says:

January 12, 2019 at 3:06 am

This is wonderful…. a lot of kids will like this. Learning alphabet at the same time getting some kind of creativity.

Robin E.

says: Customer Service

January 12, 2019 at 11:41 am

Yes! Making this Appetizing Alligator with children is great in so many ways. It is creative and fun together, plus it reinforces the letter A and it’s short sound, plus it’s a healthy snack. What’s not to like?

jerry

December 28, 2016 at 1:11 pm

It looks like alot of fun for spelling.

Mrs. Rasmussen

August 9, 2016 at 3:49 pm

We’ve been doing these snacks all summer and my daughter is really enjoying them.

Misty

February 2, 2016 at 9:26 pm

This looks like lots of fun! I’ll have to share this with my sister.

Athena

February 1, 2016 at 8:29 pm

My children love All About Reading and it is Ziggy that brightens their day. They want Ziggy to help them with ALL their schoolwork.

erica k

January 29, 2016 at 1:58 pm

How fun this is!! I know a 3 year old little girl that will enjoy these yummy alphabet treats. : )

Decia Newby

January 28, 2016 at 10:19 pm

My kids will love this!

Sarah

January 25, 2016 at 7:34 pm

This is so inspiring! Another way of engaging all the sences.

Gina

January 25, 2016 at 8:34 am

What a fun & yummy way to learn the alphabet! My 3 year old will love helping me make these snacks!

Timura

January 22, 2016 at 1:22 pm

My son would love this! So cute!

Rachel Dale

January 18, 2016 at 2:31 am

Looks like a yummy way to learn!

Stacie F

January 17, 2016 at 10:22 pm

Looks delicious!

Angie

January 17, 2016 at 8:19 pm

Love this!

Jen

January 17, 2016 at 8:06 pm

Cute!

Pamela Stallings

January 17, 2016 at 7:24 pm

This is so cute and fun!

Cathey Cook

January 17, 2016 at 4:55 pm

I am a retired special ed. teacher and now helping my daughter homeschool her 3 children. I do think AAR is the best reading program I have ever used!

Robin E. at All About Learning Press

January 18, 2016 at 9:12 pm

Thank you, Cathey! That is high praise indeed!

Amber

January 17, 2016 at 3:55 pm

So cute! Nothing like fun with foods to encourage letter recognition :)

Jenny Lenczycki

January 16, 2016 at 9:28 pm

Heather Bertrand

January 16, 2016 at 6:43 pm

This idea is such a great way to get a healthy snack into the kiddos and include it into the learning process. Great idea.

Lauren Pinion

January 16, 2016 at 5:03 pm

We love avocado! What a fun idea!!

Heather

January 16, 2016 at 10:35 am

Cute snack!

Erica

January 16, 2016 at 5:53 am

This is a cute idea. While it may not guarantee that my kids will eat the veggies, this is still a fun way to expose them to different vegetables and add in some fun learning too!