Tips for Opening Food Containers

Summer is just around the corner! That means summer camps, summer school, pools, road trips, and LOTS of snacks. Unfortunately, it can be a bit more challenging to manage some of these snack containers than one may expect. To help your kiddo maintain their independence with meal management, here are a few quick tips on making those Ziploc bags, “tear-able” packages, and snap lids a bit easier to open up. These strategies aim to aide the user with hand strength and control by creating a more manipulable “grip” by which the bag is opened. 

Watch our video here for a visual on how to adapt snack containers!

Ziploc Baggies

Attach a long piece of tape from the inside of the baggie lip to the outside and fold on itself to secure. Repeat on the other bag lip for increased efficacy. Have your child pinch and hold one piece of tape, and pull down on the other piece. 

“Tear-able” Bags

Open the bag (trying to tear only one side). Fold the open side approximately ½” and repeat until the opening is closed. Secure the rolled portion to the body of the bag with a long piece of tape, leaving a couple inches of excess tape. Fold the excess tape back on itself, sandwiching the adhesive sides. 

Snap Lid

Attach a long piece of tape from the inside of a snap lid to outside, folding it onto itself to secure. Make sure the tape is flush with any grooves in the lid to allow it to close with out tearing. Add a loop, such as a pipe cleaner if your child has a hard time pinching materials and pulling up.

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