Sunday, July 31, 2011

Snack Time=Socializing

How do you create an efficient snack time in your classroom so that you aren't using too much time up, but still making sure tummies are full so kids can learn?
Do you send a snack calendar or do kids bring their own snack each day?
Please share your tips and tricks so we can all get a glimpse of your Snack Time Successes!

Mrs. Bainbridge over at Teach, Laugh, Learn...Everyday is having a Snack Time linky party! So I thought I'd join my first linky party!! Super excited. Here's how I do my snack time.

I think snack is important for my kindergarten students. Not only does it fill up their little tummies, but it gives them a time to socialize. We have snack towards the end of the day after specials. Each day, while they are at specials, I lay out that days snack so that when the students get back they can sit down and eat. However, before we eat snack I make sure that we, as a class, thank the student that brought in the snack for that day. I really like this, because it puts a smile on the child's face. If a child forgot to bring in snack I pull out extra snack that we had left over in the cabinets and I still let the child get a thank you.

We spend about 10 minutes eating snack before going into our Unit time.  But during that 10 minutes, I let the students talk to one another. Of course there is no yelling and if the students have been particularly unruly that day, then they have to eat snack in silence. They don't like this, and honestly I don't either. I think it is good for them to be able to talk to one another as it builds important socializing skills.

Here is the note I send home at the end of the month for next months snack. I have a list of ideas for snacks that can be brought in, and if I have any students in the classroom who are allergic to something last year I had peanut and dairy allergies in my class I put it on here as a reminder. 
 If you would like this document, please leave me a comment with your e-mail address. I will send it to you. I can't figure out how to upload a document onto blogger. Sorry. :(

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for joining my linky party! :)

    Sometimes we have to have a "silent snack" too... most days I read to them, but sometimes they get to chat and if we get too loud... it's silent snack time!

    :)
    Christina
    Mrs. Bainbridge's Blog

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  2. I have each child bring snack for a week...It is easier on the parents to bring it all in at once rather than having to remember a special day. It happens twice a year at most. I bring the first week. I also have extra something available in case someone forgets. I put it a table during Discovery time. The snack person goes first and I choose 7 friends. The rest go play, do art, or whatever special project. As spots open up the kids fill in. Within 1/2 hour everyone has had snack and done other things, too! also, I will hoard things I can serve another day...just in case.

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  3. Hi! I'm your first follower, yippee!

    Snack....90% of my students bring their lunches, so I request that parents place something extra in the lunch box, for snack time. Many of my students arrive at school before 7:30am; with lunch at 11am, they are starving by 9! I use morning snack--between 9:10-9:20-- as a transition time during literacy block. At the beginning of the year, the children will move to the book area when they are done eating. They will explore books until everyone is gathered there. (Later in the year, I will introduce book 'shopping', individual book bags, and use this time for 'read to self'.)

    We usually eat again in the afternoon, around 1:30, because we do not dismiss until 3pm. The afternoon snack is the same for everyone, provided by me or by parents who are willing to contribute. When I send out a snack request, I receive huge boxes of pretzels and goldfish!

    Regarding placing documents in a post, try saving it as a pdf and upload it at Scribd. Many bloggers use Google Docs, but my Mac doesn't translate Word documents correctly on G Docs. Good luck!

    ReadWriteSing

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  4. Thanks for the advice Chrissy. I can't believe how long your school day is! We arrive at 8:30 in the morning, have lunch at 11, and leave at 3:15.

    CarolV, my fear is the students who are from families that are not financially stable. Bringing in snack once a month works for them, but I'm afraid that bringing in snack for a consecutive week would take a hold on their pockets.

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