Snack Time

[ketch]

Hi All,

 

Was just wondering what you do?

 

How is snack time managed in your setting?

 

Up to Christmas we used to go out to play with the rest of KS1, all children brought a snack in from home and ate it on the playground and then in the afternoon we have snack and chat and sit in key person groups with a piece of free fruit. However following advice from the LEA and Ofsted we are now stopping playtime to give the children more time in continuous provision. We are a small reception class with 27 children and 2 members of staff, 1 will be in and 1 outdoors. I had thought the children would continue to bring their snack in with them and we all have 10 minutes to sit (in key groups) to eat it in the morning and then as normal in the afternoon. I have no funds to provide the snack but was wondering if people still ask parents for 50p/£1 a week to provide snack and supplies for the classroom as currently i provide lots of things out of my own pocket such as stuff for art area etc.

 

any suggestions would be greatly received on how things run in your settings

 

Thanks

 

K x

[Guest]

We do not have a seperate playtime and we have a rolling snack time where the children can go and have snack and a drink when they want to. We only provide snack that is free and milk that is free if they are under 5. Sometimes we may make something extra to have for snack and yes that ususally comes out of my purse. My sons school on the other hand ask for £10 a term for cooking etc so extremes

 

We gradually change the way we organise snack after easter so we try to eat together etc as in year 1 as much as i hate' getting them ready' if they are not used to eating their snack they end up not having a play time whereas they have all the time to eat snack with us. we then try going out for playtime after witson holiday so they get to know the other teachers and mix with the children that will be with them in year 2 so almost like a transition time tehy also get to go on the field and use the willow dome and play equipment that way as well which is nice for them.

 

Although the way i feel at the moment i'd be surprised the way the government are going whether children will be allowed/have time in the day to have snack and a break !!

[Guest Spiral]

Hi there,

 

we have a rolling snack bar too, with space at the table for six children, however, that could be difficult with such a small amount of staff.

 

I know that the school I used to work in had snack time with a group of 14 children (the alphabet divided who went first and who went second). They all washed their hands, then sat in a circle on the carpet and had supervision. The children all had to bring in two pieces of fruit per week in their own 'apple bag'. This worked well and lowered the schools costs.

 

Hope that helps a little,

Spiral.

 

ps, the children didn't all bring in a piece of fruit, but some of the other parents made up for that as they took advantage of the buy one get one free offers and sometimes sent their child in with other things such as a cucumber or a loaf of bread to share - some also brought in foreign foods (and that was a real learning curve).

Edited January 18, 2012 by Spiral

[ketch]

Thanks for your reply, I decided to ask the parents what they thought about paying a small 'fee' each term but which will also enhance the children's learning. I'm awaiting their replies and so far most seem to be happy to go with the fund!

[Guest]

Hi do the children really need 2 snacks in the day? I have 30 reception children and they have only ever had the one snack in the morning which is their milk and free fruit. If they have had a decent lunch, do they then need another one in the 2 hours of the afternoon? I have a table out where they can pour their own drinks of water at any time but no extra food is offered. We have morning playtime with the rest of KS1 and they love playing with older siblings and friends and then they come in wash their hands, collect their milk and fruit and then sit on the carpet we use this time for 'big news' where a group of children do their 'show and tell' for the rest of the class. These children had had a rolling snack system at their playgroup which from what I could see hadn't really worked and encouraged the fruit dodgers to dodge successfully. They now know that after play is fruit and milk time and all of them now pick up and eat a piece of fruit (at the beginning of the year only 1/2 of the children were happy fruit eaters) This system was observed in my recent ofsted and there was not a murmer of criticism about it. We don't go to playtime with the rest of the school in the afternoon so that gives us over 2 hours of uninterrupted CI time in the afternoon.

Deb

[Guest]

hi-how do i join the free fruit scheme?

[Guest]

Hi our reception class do not have a playtime in order to access continuous provision for longer. Our parents pay £1 a week for snack and have done since Nursery, we have never had any issues with them paying this. We have a different snack each day and like others we have an ongoing open snack table where the Reception children have milk/water and snack in the morning and fruit and water in the after noon. They know what they have in the morning and what they have in the afternoon. hope this helps.

 

kate