Farley and Mooch are at different stages in their language development. Mooch is just beginning to identify letters (D for daddy sort of thing). Farley is working on spelling his name.

So, when I received a special delivery of Post Alpha-Bits in the mail for a special project (more on that in a second), I decided we could multitask in the morning. Eat and learn at once. Let’s do it. They’re going to play with their food anyway, right?

My preschooler appreciated that his cereal not only has letters to play with but “Super WHY!” characters on the box. And, yes, that’s my kid in a Christmas pajama top in March. What of it?

We started with the kids trying to find the first letter of their names, and then me nudging Farley to find the rest of his name.

If your kids are older, you can work on distinguishing vowels and consonants: Ask them to eat all of the consonants and leave only the vowels.

Grown ups can use the cereal for their own selfish needs, like advertising for their blogs.
Side comment: Why is it impossible for find M’s?!

I’d never bought Alpha-Bits before; I figured it was like all the other sugary kids cereals on the market. Instead, there’s only 6 grams of sugar per serving – not too shabby. Plus, there are no artificial flavors and it has 20 grams of whole grain per 30-gram serving.

The cereal also makes for a good ingredient in snack recipes.

Alpha-Bits sent me an easy recipe that kids can help make this and play with the letters in the process:

ABC Crispy Bars

Ingredients

¼ cup (½ stick) butter or margarine

1 package (10.5 oz) mini marshmallows

⅓ cup sugar-sweetened soft drink mix

8 cups Post Alpha-Bits Cereal

Alphabet-shaped cookie cutters

Directions

Line 13×9-inch pan with foil, lightly grease foil

Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH for 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows and soft drink mix; mix well.

Microwave on HIGH for 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring for 45 seconds. Stir in cereal.

Press cereal mixture firmly into prepared pan. Cool. Using the cookie cutters, cut 12-15 squares.

Mold squares into letters.

Store in airtight container at room temperature.

*****

About my special project

I’m partnering with Alpha-Bits and Little Free Library to put up a Little Free Library in my neighborhood. I’m pretty excited about it, because it’s a great way to share my love of reading with others. Each library is a small, free-standing structure (like a birdhouse almost) where members of the community add to it on an ongoing basis.

There’s a lot to do before it goes up in the late spring.

Here’s where it’s going up, though: Metcalfe Park.

Metcalfe Park in Midtown Omaha will have a Little Free Library soon!

More to come, friends!

One last thing … any artistic friends want to help me paint it?

* This post was sponsored by Alpha-Bits, who provided the cereal and all of the materials to construct a Little Free Library, including starter books for it.