- Q: Do you use food products in activities?
'Yes, there are many positives that children gain from using food in their play. I think there is often no good substitute for the real thing - what would we use for rice or for chick peas? Where else would you find the texture of baked beans or cooked spaghetti?'
'We have "organic" in our title, which can leave us open to criticism. We are very careful of what food products we use in our play and are conscious of waste. We may open the odd tin of beans so children can explore the texture if it ties in to a topic or a discussion, but we would never use bucketloads.'
'We've had discussions among the staff about the use of food. Some people do find it wrong. I think it often depends on when they're born, which era. Some of the older staff think it is terrible because of food wastage, but the younger staff often do not understand their concerns. We do use food products in activities but are mindful of the issues and do not overuse food.'
'We use food in messy play, such as baked beans and jelly. I know some nurseries feel that it encourages children to play with their food, but we have not had any problems. It hasn't affected the children's table manners.'
- Q: Which foods do you use and why?
'We only use supermarket value foods such as cornflower, custard powder, spaghetti, dried rice and pasta and baked beans. We give these products to them dry or soak them so they are malleable, or both - it is a great tactile play activity. We also use dried pasta to thread to help with motor skills as well as a sensory experience. There is so much that children get out of this play.
'We never use eggs and we are always aware of children's allergies.'
'If we have a child in the nursery who does not like a certain food, then they can have an enjoyable experience with it, not the negative experience of being urged to eat. It is a nice way for children to become accustomed to food.'
'One of the parents is a fishmonger and we had a whole fish in the water tray. Montessori is so sensorial - children need to feel the fish and see it whole, and they loved it. It was fascinating to watch them open the mouth and see the teeth.'
'Food products give us different textures and smells. Through this children can learn to experience different things - it's very sensory. We have had children who are very poor eaters and they have learned to taste different things. It has been a positive experience.'
'We do a lot of messy play with sand and water, and food adds other interesting textures. We use cornflour and soaked pasta and rice, and also use dried products such as pasta and lentils in music shakers.'
'We have real vegetables in the home area, such as carrots, potatoes and sometimes onions, which the children can play with and cut up. We are part of a larger nursery group and our policy is to use real food because it is felt that it good for the children to use real objects rather than plastic ones. There is no substitute for the real thing.'
- Q: Do you think that views are changing in the current climate?
'We have had a few negative comments, saying that it is bad that we are wasting food by encouraging children to play with products such as rice. But I believe the restaurant business continues to waste food on a great scale, whereas our food waste is minimal. The majority of food we use in play is recycled, such as fed to the birds or composted, so what is the problem?'
'We are constantly looking at our practice and we will continue to be mindful of what we do. We value everyone's opinion and we do try not to unnecessarily waste food. Often if we're playing with food, another room will use it later. In fact, at lunch if the chef has cooked too much rice we will use it in messy play later so it doesn't go to waste.'
'Use of food in play is not an issue I've discussed with the staff, but it is an interesting thought.'
'We are very conscious of how many food products we use in play and try to limit it to once a week and use a product that can be shared throughout the nursery to reduce waste. We often only use dry pasta so it can be used in different rooms, whereas cooked pasta can only be used once.'
- Q: What are parents' opinions? Have you had any complaints?
'Out of 520 children registered at our nursery, we have only had three people complain. Out of the percentage of users, that is minimal. We definitely have no plans to change our ways.'
'No parents have complained about our use of food. In fact, they are glad that we do it at nursery, not at home - it keeps the mess here!'
'No-one has ever mentioned it, but if a parent did raise the issue then of course it would be a topic open for discussion.'
'Parents love the fact that we do messy play with the children and they have never complained that we use food. I think it would be sad to stop using these products.'
'If there was a complaint then we'd look into it, but we've been open five years and haven't had one yet.'
What are your opinions on using food products in activities? To continue the discussion go to 'Have Your Say' at www.nurseryworld.co.uk
AN EXPERT'S VIEW
By Linda Keats, graduate training advisor for Early Years Professional Status, Early Years and Childcare, Essex
Without doubt, children need to explore food, but doesn't this start when they begin to feed themselves? If we are encouraging the use of food in play, how are children to distinguish between a time to play and a time to eat?
Fifteen years ago my thoughts on 'food play' were similar to some of these managers' comments - until a couple of wise tutors and the general consensus of the early years sector in Australia convinced me otherwise.
They raised several areas for consideration:
- Cultural inclusion: Certain ingredients can strongly conflict with cultural beliefs - for example, jellies and custards often contain gelatine, which is forbidden in certain cultures. Providing an 'inclusive curriculum' is about consideration and respect for cultural and religious belief systems.
- Allergies and health: With the increase in children's allergies, 'food play' should be treated with extreme caution. Ingredients listing on packaging can be sketchy, making it difficult to judge whether the product is safe. Is our curriculum inclusive and safe if we are offering food as an activity?
- Ethical considerations: Children need to be taught responsibility for ethical and sustainable use of food, especially when families are struggling to afford food and there is a world shortage of essential commodities. How will children learn respect for the world if we don't teach them to respect what it provides for us? And how can we expect children to understand the need to conserve food when we offer it to them as a play activity, then throw it away?
With thought and imagination, fascinating and fun alternative materials to food are available - sand, gravel, soil, soap flakes, ice blocks, shells, grass, wood shavings, clay slurry, crushed ice, borax-gloop, leaves (Be sure to always conduct risk assessments and check if it is appropriate for children's age and ability first).
But there is also positive learning to be had with food, such as cooking and helping to prepare meals, where children can explore and better understand food. One practitioner here states, 'One of the parents is a fishmonger and we had a whole fish in the water tray' - wow, real life! The learning possibilities are endless with this activity. There is a big difference between this exploration and investigation, and a play and throw food activity.
We know early years is where the learning start. Let's get it right!
