Snack Time

[Guest]

Hi, at my Pre-school we are trying to re-organise our snack time. At the moment we stop and everyone sits down together for a healthy snack time, but we are wondering if we should open a snack bar so that children who don't eat breakfast could eat earlier. How do other settings handle this and what sort of snacks are served? Would be really grateful for any help. Thanks.

[wellerkaren]

we have a snack table for toast time from 8 until 9 in the morning. we then have a small table for furit/vegetebles with milk and water cups ect that children can acess through out the morning

[Guest]

We have a rolling snack bar open for about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish. During this time adult and helpers prepare snack, childrens names are placed on a table and when snack bar is open when the children want snack they find their name and post this in the box. They choose their own fruit and pour their own drink. About 10 mins before closing the remaining children are asked if they would like snack.

[Inge]

This is often discussed in one way or another so I have done a quick forum search and put in a few links to previous discussions

 

snack time policy

 

snack time

 

snack bar

 

snacks

 

cafe resources

 

rolling snack time

 

 

Happy reading

 

Inge

[dublinbay]

We're the same as Mrsb.

[Beau]

Thanks Inge for taking the time to put in all those links to past conversations. I'm going to move this post to general issues for you woolly.

[Guest]

Thank you all so much for your advice. Brilliant list Inge, lots of useful information.

[emmajess]

I used to have a snack bar in my reception class at my last school, but when I came to my current school, that was not the practice. I tried to introduce it this year but the other adults (one TA, my jobshare partner) weren't very pleased with how it was working, as it took up too much of my Ta's time supervising it. So we gave up on it, but I'm hoping to have another go in September. As I remember, in my old school we used to have an adult very focussed on supervising it and making expectations clear for a couple of weeks and then it seemed to be quite self-maintaining.

 

I was just wondering if anyone else has a rolling snack bar in their reception class and how it works - how long it's open for and how you supervise it. I'd like to get really clear about the best way to do it before I introduce it again with my TA when I'm full time in September.

 

Thank you!

 

Emma

[anju]

I know it's not popular these days but we have a sit down snack still and it works well for us. The parents really like it as they feel it helps with old fashioned things like reinforcing good manners at the rable (!). In our area many families live in tiny flats and have no opportunity to sit down at the table together as there is no table! So the sit down snack is an experience of sharing food and conversation with adults and children (at least 2 adults sit with the children).

 

we offer fruit and savoury e.g. pitta, breadsticks etc and milk or water.

[Guest]

We also do sit down snack and for the reason above. Although almost all our children come from fair sized homes and have two parents living with them, a lot clearly don't sit to eat with their parents. By the time the children leave us the difference in their "table manners" for want of a better phrase is amazing. It is interesting to spot the children who have much older siblings too as often they feel they have to kneel or stand on our child sized chairs as they are only used to using adult sized ones at home and having to fight to get their share from the older siblings. Our parents really support the idea and we also encourage the children to take turns to serve each other and practise their 'please" and "thank you".

[Guest]

We have found that a snack bar doesn't always work well for all children. so due to the special circumstances of specific children we have a mix throughout the day in the mornings we have a snack bar where the children self register by putting their name tag on the table and helping them selves this way at the end of the snack bar you can see which children have not had anything to eat. then in the afternoon we completely tidy up and have snack all together and in some cases have together time at the end while they are all sat down. some time this works and some times it don't. hope this helps