Make a drink or shake

What can we use instead of plain yogurt, milk, or a blender if the recipe ingredients or tools are hard to find?

Swap the half cup of plain yogurt for Greek or dairy‑free yogurt and the half cup of milk for almond/soy/oat milk, and if you don't have a blender you can mash the chopped fruit on the cutting board and whisk the yogurt and milk in a sealed jar or use an immersion blender.

My smoothie is chunky or the blender splattered—what went wrong and how can we fix it?

If the smoothie is chunky or splatters, make sure you followed the step to cut the fruit into small pieces on the cutting board, put the blender lid on tightly, and blend for about 30 seconds while an adult steadies the blender.

How should we change the steps for a 3‑year‑old versus a 10‑year‑old helping with the smoothie?

For a 3‑year‑old have them rinse fruit and add premeasured half‑cup yogurt and milk while an adult does the cutting and operates the blender, and for a 10‑year‑old let them measure the half cups, help chop soft fruit with supervision, and ask the adult only to turn the blender on and off.

How can we make the smoothie more interesting or healthier after following the basic recipe?

To personalize and boost nutrition add a handful of spinach, a tablespoon of chia seeds or honey, substitute frozen fruit or an extra ice cube for thickness, then pour into your cup, taste a small sip, and share the finished smoothie on DIY.org.