Snack Bar

[Guest]

We have recently been advised by our ELA to introduce a snack bar/cafe. I was wondering if anyone already runs this idea or is considering it and could send some practical tips my way.

Looking forward to your help

Aslett

[AnonyMouse_1208]

Hi Aslett and welcome - there have been lots of discussoins on this topic, haven't got time to put in the links at the moment - try putting in a search.

[Guest]

Hi Aslett - welcome!

 

We introduced a snack bar at a preschool in which I worked for a while and we were very keen to do as you are doing now - find out the pro's and cons, as I can remeber here are some of the points that we discussed:

 

-Hygiene -

Training the kids in handwashing

Obviously making sure that used cups and snack are disposed of - having a 'bin for the remains (great for making compost as KUW activity!) and a basin for used cups.

 

-A suitable place - being near a tap, not to 'busy', seating.

 

-Adults 'checking' the area for refilling and cleaning up spillages

 

-Linking it to other things we were doing in the preschool - for example one week we made it into pizza hut!

 

-The 'amount' of independence that you want the children to have - will the pour their drink? will they have access to a cloth if they spill their drink? Will they be able to take their drink away or will they have to drink it there?

 

-One other issue that was brought up (after we started!) was the 'equal' distribution of snack as some children were eating more than others.

 

-Having open and closed times - for example 1/2 an hour before lunch as kids were filling up on fruit and then not wanting to eat their lunch.

 

 

I think that its a lot about training and modelling (I seem to remember drinking rather a lot of orange squash for the first couple of weeks)

 

Hope this helps

[AnonyMouse_2186]

Hi Aslett ~ Welcome to the forum

 

You can find a previous discussion on snack bars by clicking here