at the garden, we know that children need the right kind of fuel in order to have a successful school day. access to the outdoors means that children will move a lot and exhaust themselves more easily. we want children to learn to listen to their bodies and recognize when it is hungry and thirsty, so we have a snack table available all morning long which children can visit whenever they like.
fostering independence is a huge part of our mission, so our snack table is setup for independent use by the children. our snack calendar is created with intentionality — both in terms of health/nutrition and in terms of offering autonomy. each family will be assigned to bring snack for the whole group about once every couple of months. we encourage you to bring your child with you to shop for the items and give your child some ownership in providing the snack for the group. it is a special honor and the children really enjoy taking part in this process. please bookmark the snack calendar and hang a copy in a place you’ll see regularly. we’ll send home any leftoevers with you the same day.
lunchtime is a time for community at the garden. at the end of the morning, we all gather in the shelter and eat at the same table just as a family does. we talk about how our days went and take the opportunity to break bread together as is an important human tradition that brings people together across the world. families are asked to send in a healthy, filling lunch and water bottle for lunch time daily. in order to allow your child independence during this time, please be sure to use a container that your child can easily transport from the playground to the shelter and open on their own. packaged food is discouraged, in order to avoid waste and as a continuation of our regular discussions surrounding sustainability. children will learn which food remnants they can offer to our compost worms and begin to understand how we grow food by assisting in maintaining our school garden beds and compost bin.
tips for packing lunches:
- healthy, filling foods (a protein, a fruit and vegetable option are ideal for keeping little bellies full)
- insulated water bottle (juices and sugary drinks are discouraged)
- recommended lunch box brands for little hands include bentgo, planet box, lunch bots or even just a sectioned tupperware container works great! just be sure to have your child practice opening and closing independently at home!