Healthy Mealtimes
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Snacks
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At Busy Bees, we offer two healthy snacks during a Preschool day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Menus are created from what is available seasonally. Below is a list of some of the snacks that the children receive:
Toast, crackers, breadsticks, pitta, bagels, muffins. Tomatoes, tangerines, grapes, cucumber, peppers, kiwi, carrots, bananas, apples.
The children get to vote at the beginning of their session for their favourite snack and this will be freshly prepared before the snack time.
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Independence is encouraged so children are able to take turns to hand out snack to their peers as well as pour their drink (with support). Afterwards, they put their waste in the bin and put their plate and cup in the bowl ready for washing up.
Our snack times are interactive and encourage maths skills such as counting, number recognition and talking about sizes and shapes. We enjoy talking about how we source food, where it has come from and what the whole foods look like before they become an ingredient or are prepared ready to eat.
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We value independence and choice and therefore encourage children to help prepare their snack. They are often involved in making fruit kebabs, chopping fruit and buttering bread for snack. Parents tell us that this means their child likes to be more involved at home too.
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If your child has any allergies, it is important that you let us know.
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Lunches
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We have one lunch sitting at Busy Bees and all children will need to bring a lunchbox if their session is during our lunch time. All children who are here for the afternoon session or full day session sit down to eat at 12:15pm and then pack away at 1:00pm to continue their Preschool day. Children going home at 12pm have lunch at home after their morning session.
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We see lunchtime as a social occasion so staff sit and eat with the children, modelling good manners and conversation skills. We have a Packed Lunch Policy in place to encourage healthy lunches. Our lunch times are always well staffed so although we encourage children to 'have a go' at opening their lunchboxes and wrappers, staff are always on hand to help if needed.
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We recommend that all children have an ice pack in their lunch box to keep their food fresh. All lunchboxes and drinks bottles must be named.
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If you would like some easy lunchbox ideas, head to the NHS website for healthier lunchbox recipes: Lunchbox ideas and recipes – Healthier Families - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
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