Caryn's Candy Sushi by reynolds.james.e, on FlickrThis summer the staff of the Children's Center at 42nd Street planned an array of food-related craft activities to help highlight the ongoing Lunch Hour NYC exhibition. We started with bean/lentil picture frames and moved on to food label collage. On August 3rd, we decided to try an edible activity involving sushi made out of an array of tasty treats.

Each participant was given individually packaged Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats, Swedish Fish, and Fruit Rollups. Bananas were also used to create a healthier sushi option. Other supplies included green and red sprinkles, table cloths, paper plates, plastic knives and wax paper placemats. Everyone was able to make two rolls and two nigiri sushi, which can be described a small clump of rice with a piece of fish on top. Sticky fingers aside, it was a huge success. Most of the children devoured their creations on the spot so we did not need to provide origami bento boxes or rice containers for leftovers.Photo: L. Lareau

Here are some books from our collection that helped inspire this activity.

• Do It Now! Crafts: Cool Art Projects & Tasty Snacks by Sarah Hines Stephens and Bethany Mann
• Hiromi's Hands by Lynne Barasch
• Yoko by Rosemary Wells

Silly sushi is a great activity for rainy days, sleepovers and birthday parties. You can definitely use a wide variety of ingredients. Chewy granola bars, for example, can be used instead of the Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats. One of the parents attending the program suggested sweetened sticky rice. Dried fruit or raisins would work well for a healthy twist. There are lots of great options and are worth exploring.

Happy sushi rolling!

Photo: L. Lareau