Week Two And The Fun Starts!

[Guest]

 

Hi all,

Can't believe we're in week two already. I'm in a unit and the Nursery children joined our reception class today for their first day. Was hectic but fun. Hope everyone is enjoying being back. Is anyone else in a unit? How do you manage snack time?

[Guest]

I find snack time a nightmare in our unit and we have tried many different approaches - mainly depending upon the number of children we have. If you are not careful it can end up with 1 staff member tethered to the snack area - whether timetabled or not, rounding up children as the end of nursery session/lunch time approaches! We have also had snack altogether if not a huge group of children.

 

This year I have decided to try a mixture of approaches. Whilst we are settling in new nursery children we will have whole class snack mixed with each member of staff taking turns to sit with a group of 6 - 8 children to use snack as PSE/CLL opportunities.

 

Reading this back, not sure if it's any use, sorry! Good luck!

[Guest]

Both ourselves and our reception class have a cafe/ snack bar and the children eat and drink when they want.

 

At the outset we have to keep an eye on those who would eat all day but once they know how it works it follows through into reception and is a great way to go.

 

We used to all have tuck together.

 

WHAT A NIGHTMARE

 

We would never move away from free flow now.

 

We also make our cafe part of whatever we are learning about. so we might change its name to "T Rex Cafe" or something similar if doing about dinosaurs!!

 

I feel some children need to eat and drink some don't.

 

The only time we actively encourage them to pop to the snack bar (once they are settled and know our routines) is on really hot sunny days............ but that doesn't happen often!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

If this is week 2 roll on week 39 !!!!!

 

It's going to be a HARD year

[Guest]

Hi

 

I'm in a pre-school and we use our local village hall - we have the rolling snack bar - we open it about 10.30 and it closes about 11 to 11.15. We have a menu and little smiley face cards to tell the children how many items they can have - 4 smiley faces for the grapes, 2 faces for apple, 1 hand for the raisins, etc.

 

We do have to have a member of staff or parent help sitting at it as our children start at 2.5yrs, but it has worked brilliantly - the children can chose to have snack or not, their play is stopped when they choose.

 

We use our self registration board for the snack so the helper knows who's had snack and who hasn't. We can encourage those who haven't to at least come and have a drink.

 

If there's any left, we offer it out to anyone still hungry!

 

hope this helps

 

alison