Rolling Snack

[Guest]

Hi

 

Can anyone tell me how they implement rolling snack, we are a small setting registered for 14 each day, with very little room, and also have to clear away each day, any ideas would be grateful.

 

lisa from tinderbox

[HappyMaz]

Welcom to the Forum, Lisa.

 

We don't do rolling snack (and I won't do my babybell joke again!) but I know some people on here do and I'm sure they will be along to give some words of wisdom!

 

Looking forward to getting to know you!

 

Maz

[Guest]

Welcom to the Forum, Lisa.

 

We don't do rolling snack (and I won't do my babybell joke aent have 10gain!) but I know some people on here do and I'm sure they will be along to give some words of wisdom!

 

Looking forward to getting to know you!

 

Maz

 

 

Thanks Maz, I am playleader to a small setting in a village outside cambridge, we are registered for 14 each day and at present have 10 - 12 at each setting from 2 years 6 months, what kind of setting do you work in?.

 

 

lisa

[HappyMaz]

We are in a village between Reading and Maidenhead, registered for 24 each day and have between 15 and 19 each day. We're registered for full day care at the moment because we do lunch clubs, and one extended afternoon. Although we're registered to take children from two we restrict ourselves to two years six months, mainly due to the fact that since we have to set up and pack away each day we can't really provide the facilities for very young children.

 

Maz

[Inge]

look here for Past threads on this topic.. it is often discussed.. and many do it in different ways..

 

we have 1 table set up for an hour a day.. often less as all children have accessed it.. a staff member sits at the table and children come in groups, so we still have a group / social time at table, but the other children r playing and there is no queue for toilet, or hanging around etc we found with group snack..

 

Does depend on children at the time.. but they all pour their own drinks and help themselves to toast and fruit.. as adult is there they tend not to sit and eat lots it can be controlled explaining sharing and turns etc.

 

we too put away every day etc.. and have up to 20 children doing this .. only 10 at present due to numbers but this is increasing daily!

Inge

[hali]

hello and welcome - we dont do rolling snack either - was pondering it but got an outstanding from ofted in Aoril - so am not changing it

[Guest Wolfie]

Welcome to the forum tinderbox! I've got to ask...WHICH small village? I spent the first 19 years of my life in a small village outside Cambridge!

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum tinderbox! I've got to ask...WHICH small village? I spent the first 19 years of my life in a small village outside Cambridge!

 

The village is aldreth , near haddenham, but I live in Three holes which is near march.

[Guest]

look here for Past threads on this topic.. it is often discussed.. and many do it in different ways..

 

we have 1 table set up for an hour a day.. often less as all children have accessed it.. a staff member sits at the table and children come in groups, so we still have a group / social time at table, but the other children r playing and there is no queue for toilet, or hanging around etc we found with group snack..

 

Does depend on children at the time.. but they all pour their own drinks and help themselves to toast and fruit.. as adult is there they tend not to sit and eat lots it can be controlled explaining sharing and turns etc.

 

we too put away every day etc.. and have up to 20 children doing this .. only 10 at present due to numbers but this is increasing daily!

Inge

 

Do the children have to wait if the table is full, we do the same but only have a table of four so children have to wait their turn, I am not sure this is working well thats why I am asking for advice.

 

Thanks

 

Lisa

[Guest]

Hi,

hope this gives you an idea, we have 39 children. When the children self register in a morning they have a teddy with their name on. Each child goes and gets their own teddy with their name on and takes it to the snack table where they put it into a small basket. The fruit milk/juice is put out onto the table for the children to help themself. We start this after register upto 10.30. One member of staff is in charge along of course with other duties to oversee the running of the snack table. The member of staff can to and look at the named teddys that are left and call children to go and get their snack, if they have not had it. This works well. The children can get their snack when they are ready for it!

Hope this helps 0258

[Guest]

Hi, its me again OOPS forgot to say we only have one small table with five chairs. 0258

[Guest Wolfie]

The village is aldreth , near haddenham, but I live in Three holes which is near march.

 

Oh no, not near my village..Harston, inbetween Cambridge and Royston....

[Guest]

Hi, its me again OOPS forgot to say we only have one small table with five chairs. 0258

f

 

 

Thanks folks, i feel better about what I am doing now we have a table of 4 set up from 10.45 - 11.15 and a table with fruit, crackers e.t.c and milk or water on it, the children wash their hands then find the photo of themselves washing their hands off the wall , they take that to the adult who is at the snack bar and help themselves to snack, I like the idea and feel it works well especially now that we have free flow, but a member of my staff who was their before I took over as play leader dosn,t like the idea that the children have to wait their turn if the table is full, what are everyones views on this.

 

 

Lisa

[Guest]

Oh no, not near my village..Harston, inbetween Cambridge and Royston....

r

 

Yes I ahve heard of that my mum lives near St Ives and I go to college in cambridge.

 

Lisa

[Guest]

Hi again, regards children waiting of their turn. We have always done this. This helps children to learn to wait and be patient. 0258

[Guest]

Hi again, regards children waiting of their turn. We have always done this. This helps children to learn to wait and be patient. 0258

 

 

Thats what I think, Thanks you have put my mind at rest that I am doing the right thing.

 

Lisa

[Guest]

Hello!!

 

We have had free flow tuck for a long while now and it works well!!

 

We bought 3 small square coloured tables from IKEA and we usually put 5 chairs out.

 

There is always a bowl of various fruits, milk and a water jug (IKEA) with plastic (IKEA) cups. We also offer a PLAIN biscuit ie rich tea.

 

We are lucky, we don't tidy away everyday and we have a specific cafe area...... we tie our cafe in, with whatever we are into at the time......... like we call it the T Rex cafe etc.

 

We don't prompt the children to go to the cafe............ unless its very hot weather (we should be so lucky eh??) and we want them to have a drink.

 

With new ones we keep an eye out as there are those who visit the cafe 5/ 6 times................ I am fine with that just we do keep an eye out when we have little ones to train up!! Its often a novelty I think for them to be allowed to help themselves at first!!

 

I could take a picture on Monday if you'd like to see it!!

[cathrich]

Hi there

 

We do the same as Inge and Robinson. We only have a small room and can have up to 18 children. One member of staff is on snack bar duty and oversees it.

Routine is:

~We have set times when snack bar opens in the am and pm. One staff is responsible each session to oversee it. They sit at the table and encourage social interactions.

~A child helps 'open' the snack bar (sign with open/closed on either side with picture) and helps wipe the table and put various options of snack on table e.g. chopped banana, apple, crackers and cheese). We may extend this and have them helping chop up fruit and wash up - not sure though?

~Children know that they wash hands, find their name (at first a photo of them with their name and when we know they are confident with recogniseing their name we turn it over which shows just their name) and put it in the box.

~Then they take a plate, sit down and choose the snack they would like. We have a 'menu' on the wall showing the pictures of the snack with the number of pieces they can have e.g. 1 cracker, 2 pieces of cheese, 3 apple etc. (all depicted appropriately) This is just so that the children don't just pile their plate high (which some would!!) They are always asked if they want anymore after they have finished their 'quota' but most of them don't need anymore.

~They then know to put plate in washing up bowl on floor, find a cup and pour themselves a drink. When they have finished they put cup in bowl and can get down.

~The routine is depicted on wall in a vertical time line for children to follow e.g wash hands - find name - choose snack - put empty plate in washing up bowl - get cup and pour drink - put cup in washing up bowl - finished!! We have a photo of different children doing each of these tasks. Ofsted REALLY liked this.

 

I REALLY like how it works. When I first started at my pre-school we all sat together but I felt it was like feeding time at the zoo!! queues for toilets, banging of plates and cups, drink spillages, noisy etc etc!! I would never go back to that! Children have to 'wait' at many more areas throughout the day e.g. computer, painting easel, bikes etc etc. It encourages them to take turns and share and understand that they can not always have what they want there and then! I don't think I am alone in thinking this??

 

Hope this all makes sense!

Cath

[Guest]

Hi

At last I can contribute (normally do the asking )

 

We have rolling snack. A table to seat 4 children and should run from 10 am for 30 mins. However, its a bit of a nightmare getting the children to wash their hands (takes one member of staff out to toilets) as when one child leaves the table its replaced by another one etc. Any other ideas? Possible to use wipes or a big OFSTED no-no?

 

We do the name in a box from the self register. There is milk, water, fruit etc available.

 

Do others just leave it up to the child if to have snack? We seem to constantly be chasing the same children who are not intersted in the sitting down .We obviously do not force them to have it but are not sure what else to try and tempt them. On hot days we really try and insist that they have a cup of water.

 

As far as Im concerned I never see it run smoothly. Is this the case for all. Some children can be sat there 10 mins so snack time does seem to go on for ever trying to get all done. We have tried getting the parent help to run this bit and depending on the parent it can be ok.

[cathrich]

I always find that all of the children want it! If they don't then we try to encourage them just to have a drink. We make sure we tell the parent at the end of the session that they did not want anything so they are aware it was their child's choice and we don't starve them!!

C

[Guest]

hi marley, we use wipes or hand cleanser for snack time as our toilets are not in the room, osfted have never said that it is'nt acceptable to do this so we do! we have rolling snack and name cards etc. we find that having a member of staff at the table with the children is a great way of communicating with the children (the conversations that take place between the children are fascinating!!!) and this seems to encourage the children to come to the snack bar.

you say that you can never see it running smoothly, have you tried moving the snack table to a different area to see if that could help, or maybe getting the children to help with cutting up the fruit etc before they eat it, or asking the children to choose from a photo list of snack ideas what they would like to have at snack time for the week. sorry if you have done all of this and nothing has made a difference, it is all trial and error and to find the best way for your setting isn't it!?!

[Guest]

Thats what I think, Thanks you have put my mind at rest that I am doing the right thing.

 

Lisa

 

Hi, a compromise could be worked out, just by having the snack bar open for a little longer, then maybe the children won't all rush to use it at once.

When I had my preschool I had my snack bar open all morning, viewed similarly to any other activity such as Art table, etc. The children would be involved in preparing the food, independently wash hands, self serve (get their plate/cup from a cupbaord situated next to the table), selct from choice of food/drink, then clear and wash up what they'd used. The main thing I think is to enable the children time to get used to the 'activity' and how it works. My children eventually showed they had their own 'appetite' routine. ie: Tom would always access the snack bar within 10 minutes of arriving(9am), whereas Lucy would go to it at around 10:15. This pattern showed regularly.

 

Pics show: shopping for snacks, preparation, wash-up (we did it properly later ) and themed snacks

 

Peggy

[cathrich]

Peggy - fab photo's - I love the 'lazy susan' idea. Do you remember or know where you can get them from??

 

I also love the washing up area and doing it in a water tray is brilliant - just wish I had the room for that

 

Cath

[dublinbay]

We keep our snack bar open all session like Peggy.

 

Love the pictures Peggy and the washing up bowl.......may have to give that a go.

[Guest]

Peggy - fab photo's - I love the 'lazy susan' idea. Do you remember or know where you can get them from??

 

Sorry can't remember, knowing me from a charity shop , possibly try wilkinsons or woolworths

 

I also love the washing up area and doing it in a water tray is brilliant - just wish I had the room for that

 

If you notice in one picture the bowl and drainer is on the snack table (child height ) or we used a bench or other table that was free, you could even make a able from a sturdy box

Cath

 

 

Hope that helps,

 

Peggy

[Inge]

Lazy Susan... IKEA again.. have loads in at the moment.. wooden ones....

 

we have up to 7 seated at the table, yes they wait if no room, but not often this happens...

 

We too use a name card system If they don't want anything they know to put name card in box, and we then leave them, other wise we know they want snack and if space let them know..

 

Don't they have to wait more fro group snack time.. ours did, wait for toilets, wash hands, for drinks etc, and then for others to finish or else they all tried to rush food and drink to be first to leave table, and then kept coming back to speak to friend who then rushed to play etc etc..

 

Found this more stressful. We find they learn to watch and come when place there..

 

we do try all day thing but don't have enough room for this really, even a small table we tried did not work.. we try every year with different children.. if it worked we would probably do this..

 

Inge

[Buttercup]

We had 32 children waiting for 4 toilets. When everyone was sat down snack time just became a mass catering excercise to get everyone with a drink and snack. it was also really noisey. some children had finished others not so decided to change to snack bar. reservations at start were that it was tying up a member of staff but then realised this was an important part of the day.

 

we have one table seating 8 and a small table with snacks and drinks on. Children have a laminated mat that they put on the table to save their space while they go and wash their hands. They then come and pour their own drinks and choose their snack. We have a bowl of fruit that they pass around the table.

 

the children are much more relaxed spending as much time as they need. We now from the mats left if someone has not had their snack. The only time it gets busy is at the start.

 

would definatly recommend it.

 

angela

[hali]

lovely photos peggy