# Strawberry Pops > Put chilled strawberries on craft sticks, dip them in melted chocolate or candy melts, and top them with sprinkles like a cake pop. It's an easy, less messy way for kids to enjoy chocolate-covered strawberries at a summer party. - URL: https://www.funlittles.com/summer-party-ideas-strawberry-pops/ - Ages: 3+ · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium - Time: prep 20 min, activity 20 min - Works for: one-on-one, small group - Skills: fine-motor, following-directions, kitchen-skills - Cautions: dairy, soy, food-dye ## Materials (one batch) - Fresh strawberries - Chocolate bars or candy melts - Funfetti sprinkles - Craft sticks - 1 piece Styrofoam block - 1 piece Microwave-safe bowl or mug (household) - 1 piece Knife for trimming the berries (adult) (household) - 1 piece Flower pot filled with styrofoam (optional) - Colored rice or colored pasta (optional) ## Substitutions - Instead of chocolate: Candy melts (The author offers candy melts as an alternative to chocolate bars. Check the label for dairy and soy.) - Instead of display pot: A platter (The author says you can simply serve the pops on a platter once they're dry.) ## Safety - This is real food that kids will eat. Check every child's allergies first, and read the labels on the chocolate, candy melts and sprinkles. Milk chocolate contains dairy and often soy, sprinkles contain food dyes, and some products may carry nut warnings. - An adult melts the chocolate in the microwave, 10-15 seconds at a time. Melted chocolate and the bowl can get hot, so check the temperature before kids dip. - Kids eat the pops sitting down, with an adult watching. Craft sticks and skewers can poke, and whole strawberries can be a choking hazard for young children. Cut berries smaller for little ones. - The author suggests water beads as one display filler. Water beads are not food and are dangerous if swallowed, so use colored rice or colored pasta around young children instead. - Wash hands before handling the food. ## Steps 1. Trim the strawberries and throw away the leaves and stems. 2. Chill the berries in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. 3. Adult: melt the chocolate in the microwave, 10-15 seconds at a time, so it doesn't burn. 4. Push a craft stick into each chilled strawberry. 5. Dip each berry into the chocolate and gently tap off the extra. Don't stir it around. 6. Sprinkle funfetti on the berry while the chocolate is still wet. 7. Stand the pops in a styrofoam block until the chocolate hardens. 8. Serve them on a platter or in a decorated pot. ## Tips - Don't stir the berries around in the chocolate, or you'll lose the berry into the chocolate! - For a firmer hold, dip the craft stick into the chocolate before you insert it into the strawberry. Put the berries back in the fridge to harden up if you do. - Melt the chocolate 10-15 seconds at a time. You don't want to burn it. - Chocolate covered strawberries are a 1-bite food for adults, but for kids they're a messy eat. So put them on a stick! - Berry pops are any day better than cake pops, and they were definitely a hit with the young kids and the big kids. - A reader whose kids go crazy over cake pops saw these as a great and healthier alternative. (from readers) ## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013) With summer around the corner here is a easy **summer dessert recipe.** Can I start by saying how much I love strawberries. They are hands down my house favorite. When the season is in full bloom, strawberries become a house staple. So now the question is what else can you do with strawberries? - Introducing, Strawberry Pops - easy, kid- friendly and elegant summer dessert. We always have a lot of summer parties and that only means one thing - FUN for ALL. With summer dessert recipes, I confess, I tend to take shortcuts for dessert, usually it's an easy dumpcake or dessert shells filled with fruits and whipped cream or store bought ice cream or in summer it's everybody's favorite - chocolate covered strawberries. While most summer desserts are served in a bowl and need a spoon, chocolate covered strawberries are a 1 bite food for adults but for kids its a messy eat. So, I did what I should have done a long time ago - PUT THEM ON A STICK. Here's what you need for this **summer dessert recipe:** - Fresh Strawberries - Chocolate bars( I prefer Hershey's) or candy melts - Funfetti - Craft stick - Styrofoam block I trimmed the berries and discarded the leaf/stem. Then I chilled in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. In the mean time I melted the chocolate in the microwave. I do 10-15 seconds at a time. You don't want to burn the chocolate. Then I took berries out and inserted the craft sticks into each and dipped them into the chocolate and gently tapped off the excess. Do not stir them around or you'll lose the berry into the chocolate. You can also chooce to dip the craft stick into the chocolate before inserting into the strawberry for a firmer hold. Remember to put the berries back in the fridge to harden up if you choose to do that. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with funfetti like you would on a cake pop. Place on a styrofoam block to harden up. We created a few Red, White and Blue berries a preview for the July 4th party. Berry pops any day better than a cake pop and were definitely a hit with the YOUNG kids and the BIG kids. Once dry you can choose to serve it on a platter or in a pot (fill it with styrafoamand cover it with water beads or colored rice or colored pasta). For a visual treat, that'll make your guests go -oooooh ! This easy to make summer dessert will sure become a conversation piece with your dinner crowd. Enjoy and tune in for more summer party ideas. Thanks for reading. Click on the link for more ***[Kitchen Tales](https://www.funlittles.com/category/moms-kitchen/)***.