Eva MacIver and her friend Maja share their daily lunch-making recipes before school via FaceTime.

It’s 7:30 Monday morning of the last week of school. Ten-year-old Eva skips down the stairs to the kitchen, tosses her empty lunch bag on the counter, grabs a bag of bagels and a big jar of peanut butter, and opens the refrigerator and chooses her favorite strawberry jam. From the drawer next to the sink, she pulls out a cutting board, just in time to greet her fourth-grade school friend Maja’s smiling face via FaceTime on the iPad set up in the middle of her lunch-making supplies.

“We’re out of sandwich bread,” says Eva, “so I’m using a bagel today. First, I’ll slice it and then slather peanut butter on one side.”

“OK,” replies, Maja, “I’ll use a bagel, too. I’m going to sprinkle some granola on mine. Are you going to have an apple or a banana with your bagel?”

“It’s like being two places at once for the girls,” says Colette MacIver, mom of Eva and two sons, 8 and 3. The girls love to watch cooking shows, and now they use their imaginations on school mornings to FaceTime their own “show.” “It’s screen time at its best because they are the creators of the content, plus it’s another way their friendship grows,” she adds.

When Maja visits her grandparents in Slovakia for two months this summer, the girls will be able to continue their FaceTime kitchen “shows” from different countries and time zones, exchanging cultural differences. “No peanut butter in Slovakia” says Maja. “plus, they really don’t have sandwiches for lunch, they have soup,” she adds.

“Really?” responds Eva, with a look of surprise. It will no doubt be a summer of new discoveries and exchanges for both of them.

Cooking and kids can be a healthy combination during these summer months. Start with snacks and discover creative ways for all ages to learn, play and grow.

Beginners enjoy a classic Ants on a Log: Wash a long stalk of crisp celery with ends trimmed. Fill the hollow side with peanut butter and top with raisins to resemble ants scampering about on a “log.” Cut into snack-size pieces.

Preteens love whirling favorite combinations in the blender. Make this simple and healthy icy Watermelon Slush that will keep kids cool and hydrated on a hot afternoon. Freeze 1 1/2 cups of 1-inch chunks of watermelon. Toss in a blender with 3/4 cup water. Blend until slushy. Squeeze lime juice in mixture and serve immediately.

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Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”

© 2018 Donna Erickson; Distributed by King Features Syndicate

—PRIME TIME WITH KIDS: FaceTime cooking with school friends–