Rolling Snack

[kristina]

Hi

We are looking to introduce rolling snack to our setting, at present all the children sit down together but as our numbers have grown this is becoming very time consuming!!

I am hoping that there is a lovely setting out there who already uses rolling snack and who would be so kind as to let me come and view how rolling snack works for you!!

We are based in Ongar, happy to travel!! (Chelmsford, harlow etc!)

 

Thank You!!

 

Kris

[Panders]

Oh I do hope someone helps Kristina. Last year we tried so hard to get this up and running, but it just didn't suit in the end. We trialled it for a ltitle more than a month, during the summer term. I wish you all the best because at heart I know this is good way of doing it, and now we have a half-way house - everyone sits down at roughly the same time, but everything the children have is self-service buffet style, they just eat/drink at the same time.

[Guest]

I am in Worcestershire so I think to far for you to come..... but feel free if you want!!

 

Rolling snack is brilliant.

 

We stuck for a very long time at all sitting down together and it was such a horrible time..... queueing for bathroom space to wash hands.... having to stop activiteis to sort tables to eat snack......

 

Now we have a five place cafe...... help yourself when and if you want to eat and drink!!

It can be hard work with new children and prompting them to only eat one biscuit (plain) but it has made a big difference to us and we have been doing it like this now for 5 years plus!!

[thumperrabbit]

I also know it can work having seen it in a school nursery - except for the odd reminder to have snack it worked brilliantly.

 

However I am in a playgroup 26, 2- 4 year olds in one room and having tried it twice once last academic year and again this year, so different children, it just doesn't seem to work for us

 

The staff are ok about the change (amazingly!) - we are putting it down to the 2 year olds

But I will try again next academic year, I live in hope

[Guest]

To far for you to come to us but we love rolling snack we have 2 to 5 year olds

works well they come if hungry and dont if not

it creates such independance

we have snack helpers who prepare and set the table

 

brilliant ............sometimes we have them wash up too

[kristina]

Thanks for all the replies! At the moment we seem to spend so much time clearing tables for 26 children, washing hands etc that I'm hoping rolling snack will solve this! It would just be nice to see how another setting does it so I can look at how we can adapt it into our setting.

 

Kris

[Guest]

Hi

 

We do a mix of both, will try and explain but please jump in and ask if I havent explained it clearly.

 

In our 2-5 room we have 24 children who self register with name cards. Our morning snack is available from 9.00am (we open at 8.00am and many children have had breakfast early at home).

 

A staff member sits at the snack table and children are told the snack bar is open, if they wish to come for snack they collect their name from the board and place it at a place on the table before going off to wash their hands. They return to the table and post their name in the snack box, once they have finished their snack they collect a name from the name board and go and give it to the relevant child who then comes for snack. Some children do not wish to come for snack and that is fine but we do ask them to come for a drink. Once all of the names have been used from the registration board the staff member clears away the snack and replaces it with our drinks station so children can come and help themselves to a drink whenever they like. Yes, we do have spilt drinks but nothing a mop can't help:) We repeat the above at 230pm for our afternoon snack.

 

Our under 2's room still has snack all together at a given time. Not sure how to implement rolling snack with our crawlers, if you have an idea please enlighten me.

 

Hope the above makes sense and is of some help. We have been doing this for 2 years+ and it really works for us and our children. It isn't as complicated as it sounds, and really gives children a sense of belonging and choice.

Debbie.

[blondie]

we do rolling snack and it works great - it took a little time to get it working properly and for staff to get used to it too. one member of staff clears one table and sets it up ready for snack - children will access the table as and when they are ready - they find their name card,wash their hands then sit and eat their snack.our children bring in their snack from home - always something healthy - and we provide milk or water which the children pour themselves. when there are only a few children left to have snack we do tend to ask them whether they would like their snack - we do insist they have a small drink even if they do not want their snack.

it works so well as it means you dont have to clear and tidy the whole room and it also means that chikldren who finish their snack earlier than others arent either sat waiting for the others to finish or wandering around the room looking for something to do because everything is put away.

x

[Devondaisy]

Well you're quite welcome to come to us if you fancy a mid-week break in Devon, perhaps in the summer?

 

We take children from 2 years, and find they all get on well with what we call cafe snack. We ask for 2 helpers in the morning who prepare the snack (with whichever adult is doing snack that day) - they chop or the fruit or break it into segments, cut up the cheese etc. then call to the others that the cafe is open. Children then come when/if they please. They wash their hands then help themselves to drinks and food, supervised by the member of staff, and then wash and dry their plate and cup afterwards. There is no pressure to come to snack, but we sometimes need to limit the amount of food consumed by some children! When the staff member thinks most people have come, there is a last call before the cafe closes, and that's it. Only water is available after that. The whole thing lasts about an hour usually.

 

Does that help at all?

[kristina]

Have had a lovely invite from a setting a couple of miles down the road from me!! Thank you everyone!! As always a wealth of knowledge and useful advice!!

 

Kris

[lynned55]

I think we may just be that little bit too far- other side of London, near to Wembley?

Anyway you would be more then welcome but I will try and explain our rolling snack.

We open at 9.30, snack bar opens around 10 (ish) depends, sometimes bit earlier if the children are asking. Sorry ours start at 2 yrs 9mths until school so by now most are 3+. Parents donate fruit/veg (if none we give a rich tea biscuit) so we prepare, or sometimes the children help, we have those wonderful Pampered Chef knives whatever fruit is there. staff member of parent sits at table with room for 4/5 children (25 per day) the children come over when they want, take photo of themselves off board and place in box, wash hands (we have invested in a mobile sink unit- brilliant) and then sit down. If it gets to about 11.20/30 and some not come over then they are 'encouraged' to come otherwise we pack up around 11.30 and just leave out a water jug when we do. I never bother that much about insisting they come for a drink as ours have a packed lunch at 12.10 so dont have that long to go. It works very well, have been doing it for around 5/6 years now and would never go back. It does mean losing a staff member for a lot of the session but then frequently we gain so much info from the children when doing like this that it is worth it. It's a great time to get to know them, talk to them and often assess lots of areas of learning with them. The only time it is a bit difficult is if we have had a large intake in the Sept- lots of new little ones but otherwise I find the older children just model behaviour to the little ones. Parents are often amazed at the way their little ones sit patiently and eat their fruit at the table or manage to serve themselves and peers with drinks and snacks!! HTH, just shout if you want more info.

 

Ha, Ha must have posted at the same time!!

Edited January 18, 2011 by lynned55

[trekker]

We do cafe snack over a period of 45 mins to 1 hr...children come when they want and have always been encouraged, reminded several times and then if they still do not want snack (fruit & milk) this is respected and the cafe closes. Children have their own water bottles anyway so always get a drink.

 

Anyway parents do get concerned that some children do not have their snack.

It has been, repeatedly, suggested that we should go back to 'altogether' snack or to make sure everyone eats and drinks something...but we feel cafe works well - if child chooses not to have snack they are clearly fully engaged in their activites and I would not want to insist they come and if they were hungry they would come to snack...its only 3 hours and they get water anyway.

I've tried explaining this several times and the rationale but I really feel parents think these are some 'new age' ideas of mine personally!

We tried cafe snack over three years on and off and it didnt work for one reason or another but we kept persevering and now it works fantastically....so after all that effort im even more reluctant to change back.

it is increasingly stressful trying to be strong and keep to what we know works for us and what we believe in!

 

Thank goodness for half term recharge!

[redjayne]

Have been doing cafe style 'rolling snack ' for about four years now, even prior to eyfs and it works really well. The children (aged 2-5)are told that snack is available , they can choose when they access it assuming there is space and if there isn't then they let the staff on duty know and get called when a space arises. They choose what they eat and drink and sit in a small group of 6-8 depending on the table being pulled out or not. It is open for an hour, and if a child chooses not to have snack then thats fine too . Parents love it and can't imaging going back to the old way of doing it !