Guest Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 What do you all do for Snack Time in a morning - ie; sit together in a circle, free flow snack etc. We have 35 children in most days and need to provide snack and on reflective I just feel that our current set up for snack isn't working and wondered what everyone else did. Thanks Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 HI IF YOU SEARCH FORUM POST -YOU WILL FIND A DISCUSSION THERE - NOT SO LONG AGO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Hi We are a village pre-school (pack away setting). A member of staff takes a few children out to help prepare the snacks (fruit). We then offer it as a buffet style snack bar where the children come up to a table that seats 9. They wash their hands in a bowl of water which is regularly changed. They then get a plate and help themselves to what ever snacks they want. Water and milk is put in small jugs on the table for the children to help themselves (pour a drink into a beaker). An adult is always to hand to watch and replenish the snacks (apples, bananas, cucumber and raisens). When the children have finished they have to put their duty plate in a bowl. The snack bar is open from 10 - 11 am. The adult usually keeps an eye on who hasn't been and will go and remind them. We have done the snack bar like this for quite a few years now and the children learn independence ready for school. We have 30 children per session aged between 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. Hope this helps. Kerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 forum search is always worth a try.. there is a lot of information already there.. Snack time what do you do? Snack time Snack Time Buffet Style, how to you organise this? Water /snacks Snack Time I always feel that it can change depending on the children.. but snack bar was the way we went, no waiting for others ( toilets, hand washing, eating etc) still had adult input and the group snack but in small ones that varied all the time, sharing was still there.. all the same benefits of a group one in a different way.. but we coudl end up with whole group if we had few children.. and it varied.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Thanks for putting the links Inge - i don't know how to do it !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_3735 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Thanks for putting the links Inge - i don't know how to do it !! to add a link... no more excuses!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 to add a link... no more excuses!! i am truly stumped got first bit just don't know how to copy link from this site into box :wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_21338 Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 we do a sit down snack, we only have 2 members of staff and thought we could not run the session with only 1 free member of staff (we operate free flow in and out) we only have a maximum of 14 children per session,and it seems to work for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueFinanceManager Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Hi Kelsbarrington Welcome to the forum and congrats on making your first post We always had a tidy up from the early mornings activities which were quite free flow and then all sit round tables to have a shared snack of milk/water & toast/crumpets & fruit. Gave us a chance to take stock and decide if the activities we had planned were going to work (sometimes the children may have instigated something we wanted to capitalise on on or were just too restless that day for sitting/structured activities) and teaches the children about sharing and table manners. Always found the conversations the children had at snack time hugely entertaining. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_37030 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 we sit down at the table with the children....and have an old fashioned "snack n chat" time. Children pour their own drinks from a jug (with assistance if required) then they collect the plate of food from another table which colour matches the cups used on each table and serve the other children at the table. During the time the grown ups encourage children to talk and interact..sometimes we use this time to do our phonic work.....but the aim is to encourage children who dont often sit at a dinner table to become socialised into sitting, chatting, eating & drinking in a more formal arrangement than they might do at home. Children are encouraged to help set up the tables and clear away afterwards. When children are finished grown ups ask if they are finished (sometimes older ones will ask if they can leave the table spontaneously) this negates them sitting for ages at a table waiting for a slower eater etc. Very old fashioned but they seem to love it because we make it fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_4562 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 We have recently changed to having drinks and snacks at 9am following quite a few parents informing us that they really struggle to get their child to eat breakfast. We all sit down together with the children getting their own drink and fruit and once they have finished they can choose when to go and play - and some chat to their friends for quite a while! We then put the remaining fruit, cups and water onto a spare table for children to access through the morning if they wish. Seems to be working well so far. Green Hippo x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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