Making the most of Meal and Snack times

                          Promote self help skills and so much more!

How to prepare:

Having the table washed & sanitized before kids arrive to eat is always a PLUS!

Cups, Plates, Napkins, and Beverage should also be on the table…waiting for the kids.

Meals and Snacks should be prepared and ready for children, avoid prepping as you go, with kids at the table. This limits opportunity for conflict or boredom.

Sitting with the kids or being right at the table, especially as you first begin to conduct meals in this fashion, is required.

Pouring Beverages:

All children 2.9-5 SHOULD NOT be drinking out of “Sippy cups”…regular open child sized plastic cups are strongly suggested.

Below are some ideas for containers that can be easily handled by children this age.

TIP: Get 2 containers for pouring, depending on how many kids you have at the table….LESS WAITING!

STEP ONE: CLEAR EXPECTATIONS!

Example:

Educator, “I am going to make sure everyone gets a cup, and David is going to start. David, here are the cups can you take one cup and pass the rest to Andrew?”

Offer prompts and guidance. Once the “initial pass” has been made, continue to encourage!

“Nice Job David! Andrew can you take one cup and then pass the rest to Erin?”

Being enthusiastic and offering praise pays off…soon enough the children will be passing without as many verbal prompts.

(Another option is to have all the cups separated in the middle of the table and ask each child to grab his or hers off of a tray….this method is only suggested when children have their own cups marked with individual names. (Not Sippy cups….but plastic open cups for preschool aged kids)

TIP: One clear expectation should be , “The child next to you (or you the educator) will hold his/her cup as he/she pours. This avoids spills, and gets kids to work with each other. When a new child enrolls, the existing children will be more apt to “help out”, now that they have developed their own sense of confidence at the table.

What skills?

Passing, one to one correspondence, taking turns.

If using second method, name or color recognition.

NEXT:

Children can pass napkins as described above, or you can designate one child to pass them out. It depends on your group, knowing the children, and what works best. Follow the same method with plates.

KEEP IN MIND:

All food can be placed in the center of the table, and the Educator can talk children through how to serve each item.

“In this bowl are mashed potatoes, this is the spoon we will use to scoop. Everyone can take one scoop”

Guide the bowl around, prompting children. You may have to stand behind younger children and guide or prompt them when it is their turn. TIP: Continuous feedback to the group is recommended. Count as each takes a scoop, of whatever is being served; remind each to pass the bowl or tray by sliding it to the child next to them, and so on.

Other Ideas:

• Is snack cream cheese or jelly on crackers? Why not pass around the crackers on a tray, let children know how much or how many to take. Next give everyone a small spoon of cream cheese or Jelly, let them spread it on their own. Craft or Popsicle sticks work best!

• Use coffee filters rather than napkins for snacks such as cheerios, animal crackers, trail mix, etc.


Even younger children can practice serving and scooping. Having the right utensils is important, some ideas are listed on the next page.

UH OH! A SPILL! DON’T PANIC!!!!

When a child spills, allow him or her to be responsible for their environment. Keep paper towels close by and let children wipe up a spill, with help from you or a child sitting close by.

At the end of the meal under the table may have “stray pees” or “run-a-way cheerio-s”. Have a small dustpan and brush….select a child to help clean after the meal is over. Others can work on clearing the table by putting dishes in the sink or in a spot that you have designated. There are many “jobs” that the kids can do that will help them work together and leave less work for you! Pushing in chairs, wiping the table with soap and water, throwing napkins away, etc…

TIP: All children can work together, or each child can be responsible for his/her own space; ridding of dishes, pushing in chair, etc…

TIP: Avoid long handled spoons/servers. Short handles work best in little hands!

When serving foods such as apple slices, crackers, small sandwiches, or toast; items not easily scooped, meaning kids have to grab with their hands:
Be clear! Let them know how many to take, AND a good verbal prompt to use (continuously) is “The one you touch is the one you take”. Soon children will be able to repeat this expectation back to you, and even remind other children.







Finally:

With consistency and practice mealtimes will get easier. As new children are enrolled in your care, they will adapt easier as the other children are already aware of the routine. Keeping close by, and using constant feedback works best! Don’t give up!

Also, “baby steps” are perfectly fine. If you don’t want to tackle all of the above at once…do it in stages. First introduce passing out cups and pouring. Once the kids and you are comfortable, move on to having them serve food items. Again, know your kids, and your group, and plan and implement accordingly!

Meals and Snack times promote socialization, healthy eating habits, and positive table manners: TELEVISION or other electronic distractions are not recommended for these parts of the day!