What Snack Options Should I Pack for My Preschooler?

Posted on by S. J. Little
Muffin packed in preschool snack box

5 tips from a preschool teacher

Do you have a preschooler? Do you pack snacks for them? Then you’re in the right place. Keep reading to discover five useful tips I’ve learned from observing the preschool snack packing techniques of countless parents.

Please keep in mind that each individual is unique. Use discretion when deciding which tips will be useful for you.

1. Involve Your Child

    • Children enjoy and benefit from having opportunities to choose. Try involving them in picking what to have for snack, but keep the options limited. For example, you could ask them if they want an apple or a banana. Or you could ask if they want white cheese or orange cheese. Be sure that the choices you give them are all ones you are happy with them making.

2. Limit the Options

    • Deciding how many food options to pack in your child’s snack can be tricky. Not enough food leaves them hungry. At the same time, did you know that sending too many options can cause a child to eat less? Of course, this depends on the child’s personality. Some children become overwhelmed or indecisive when presented with too many options. Sending two or three decent sized food choices is often better than six.

3. Offer Healthy vs. Unhealthy Options

    • Many parents complain to me that their children only eat sugary processed food. If given the option, the majority of children will eat the sugary and/or processed treat in their snack first. This may leave them with little appetite or no time to eat the healthy options you packed for them. If this is a concern for you, try packing only healthy options such as fruit or vegetables and perhaps some crackers. Most children will be happy to eat healthy snacks, if those are the only options you provide.
    • Note that if the child has learned to expect a sugary snack, it may take a few days for them to decide to eat the healthier options.

4. Send Two+ Food Groups

    • While we’re on the topic of the options to pack for snack, one preschool I worked at insisted that parents include at least two food groups in the snack. Food groups include: fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, and meat/alternatives. Including options from at least two of these food groups is a great rule of thumb in providing a wholesome snack.

5. Change Things Up

    • Rather than sending the exact same snack every day, try changing it up from time to time. This suggestion, again, depends on your child. Some children prefer the exact same snack every day, while others quickly get bored of repetition. Eating a wide variety of food is a healthy thing to do.
    • To keep from getting stuck in a snack-time rut, keep a list readily available, like my 11 Quick and Easy Wholesome Preschool Snack Ideas.

Have you tried any of these tips, or do you have others to add? Leave a comment.

What Am I Full Of?

Posted on by S. J. Little
Bible and mug by lake

Am I filling myself with the things of God or is something else taking that space?

I am a preschool teacher. As a preschool teacher, there are many tricks of the trade which help my day go smoother with happier, healthier children. 

Many of those tricks involve snack time. Using a straw for yogurt drinks cuts down on the number of catastrophic spills. Cutting grapes eliminates a choking hazard. Sending only healthy snack options results in the child choosing to eat a healthy snack rather than choosing a sugary, unhealthy option.A juice box

One classic snack item, which has its own host of tricks, is the juice box. Many of those tricks involve how to open or hold it without spilling. Not spilling a juice box is indeed a skill for preschoolers to learn!

Beyond that, a useful trick for getting some preschoolers to eat more of their snack is to not give them a juice box at all. Let me explain.

Over my years of teaching preschool, I have seen three significantly different patterns of behaviour in children who have juice boxes with their snack. 

First, many children will only drink one or two sips from the juice box before setting it aside. This leaves the vast majority of the juice wasted.

Second, some children are able to coordinate drinking their juice with eating their snack. They will drink most of the juice and eat a good portion of their snack before snack time is over.

Finally, I’ve seen a number of children who, upon seeing the juice box in their snack, get excited. They drink and drink and drink until every last drop of the juice is gone. Then, having drunk the whole juice box, they look at the rest of their snack, perhaps apple slices or bread and cheese, but aren’t the least bit interested because they already feel full.

These children drink so much juice, often artificially flavoured with added sugar and colour, that they are not eating the sturdy healthy food they need to grow strong. From these children, we can learn a lesson.

The other day, I was reading in Isaiah 2 the explanation of why God rejected His people at that time:

    “They are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers …

    Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures;

    their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots.

    Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands,

    to what their own fingers have made.” Isaiah 2:6b-8 ESV

After reading these verses, I paused. I asked, “What am I full of?”

Am I filled with the things of God, or something else?

This question brought to mind another verse:

    “[God is] always on their lips but far from their hearts.” Jeremiah 12:2b NIV

Instead of “heart,” some other translations say “mind” or “conscience.”

Regardless of how much I talk about Jesus and know all the right answers, what is taking up the space inside me? Is Jesus in my thoughts? When my mind wanders, does it wander to the things of God?

Far more often than I’d like, my thoughts wander some other direction.

Is it bad to think about other things? Certainly not! There are many good things in life that require much thought. The problem comes when those other things are filling me, leaving no room for thoughts of Jesus, just like my preschoolers who drink so much juice that they aren’t the least bit interested in solid healthy food.Two babies drinking milk from bottles

In 1 Peter 2:2(NIV), Peter urges:

    “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation…”

Other translations say “desire the pure milk of the Word.”

Am I desiring the things of God? Am I seeking to be filled with Him?

While there aren’t any shortcuts to being filled with the things of God, spending time in the Bible, in prayer, with other Christians, and in worship are critical.

So for today, I’ll make it my goal to drink just a little less juice and a little more of that pure spiritual milk.

It’s Cold Outside Today – Preschool Song

Posted on by S. J. Little
Child wearing winter clothing: coat, mittens, hat.

 

This is one of my favourite winter preschool songs. My preschoolers enjoy its full-body actions and snowy day application. I recommend it for children ages 2-4.

It’s cold outside today, it’s cold outside today,

Brr, brr, it’s cold outside, it’s cold outside today.

 

I put my coat on, I put my coat on,

Brr, brr, it’s cold outside, I put my coat on.

 

I put my snowpants on, I put my snowpants on,

Brr, brr, it’s cold outside, I put my snowpants on.

 

Boy in winter gear sledding

Additional verses:

  • I put my boots on
  • I put my mittens on
  • I put my scarf on
  • I put my hat on

Actions:

  • As you sing “I put my ____ on” move as though putting that item on.
  • When you sing “It’s cold outside today” and “Brr, brr, it’s cold outside” hug yourself tight and rub your hands on your arms as though cold.

 

This song can be sung sitting or standing. I like to sing it standing up because the actions then become full-body. Pretending to put on boots and snowpants provides a good opportunity to encourage children to reach for their feet and stand on one foot. Many of the actions encourage hand-eye coordination and body awareness.

 

Tips:

  • Encourage the children to guess, based on your actions, which item they will put on next.
  • Keep this song for especially cold days when the children arrive bundled up. This gives the song real-life application.
  • Use this song as a high excitement song to help burn some of the pent up energy which often exists on days too cold to go outside.

What is your favourite winter preschool song?

Looking for ideas to help your child burn energy in the middle of winter? Check out these easy games: “Run, Run, Run” and “4 Sides“

Never a Wrong Address

Posted on by S. J. Little
Packages sitting on doorstep

What a comfort that God never makes a mistake.

It’s that wonderful time of year again! Christmas day is coming.

The day we set aside to remember and celebrate the greatest gift in history: that God sent His Son for us.

For many of us, our Christmas traditions include the exchange of gifts. This is true for me.

This year, I completed a large portion of my Christmas shopping online.

I have had primarily good experiences with online shopping, so, while I know it comes with risks, I didn’t hesitate to use that method this time around.

I hunted online for the item I was seeking, and took my time studying various versions of it.

When I settled on the specific item I wanted, I put in my information and completed the purchase. It was a company I’d used before with good results, so I wasn’t worried.

I received a tracking number and the receipt. Then it was time to wait.

The evening before it was expected to arrive at my house, I decided to pull up the tracking number to see where the item was.

To my surprise and delight, the website informed me that my package had been delivered. I hurried to the door, looked outside, and sure enough, there was a package.

I opened the door, then hesitated. I had expected a smaller box.

I stooped, picking it up, but frowned. Shouldn’t the item I ordered be heavier?

As I carried the package into our family room, I read the name and address on it. It wasn’t my name, and it certainly was nothing like my address.

Still, the package had been delivered to my door, and my tracking number told me my package had been delivered that day.Person delivering package to someone

Perhaps the contents of the package were correct and they’d simply put the wrong label on it?

I decided to open the package. I slit the tape and carefully lifted the flaps… an air purifier? That was nothing whatsoever similar to the … Wait! I can’t tell you what I ordered since I’m posting this before Christmas day.

Right away I searched the company’s website for a phone number. I called to explain the mix-up. Thankfully the wait time wasn’t overly long.

The first lady I called couldn’t find my tracking number or even my order number anywhere in the system! My alarm was growing! It wasn’t a cheap item.

It took us a while to realize I’d called the American branch of the company rather than the Canadian one. They forwarded me to the Canadian branch where another lady took my call. When I explained the situation, she told me to wait a couple of days to see if my package showed up. If not, I was to try calling the delivery company. If they couldn’t find my package, then the company I ordered from would send the item again.

So I waited, with that air purifier sitting in its box waiting to see what its future would hold.

On the appointed day, I called the delivery company. I explained the situation.

The lady checked their system and found that my item said it’d been delivered. They even had a picture of my house to show exactly where the box had been left on my front step. Yet somehow they’d given me the wrong box. On top of that, their system said the air purifier I received was still in process of being shipped.

She promised to look into it more closely. If I didn’t hear back from her by the following day, I was to call the company I ordered from so that they could try sending the item to me again.

When I had not heard back from her the following day, I called the company I’d ordered from. They looked into the situation and willingly sent me the item again.

This time the package arrived on the appointed day. It was a smaller, but heavier box. The label had my name and my address on it.

I eagerly opened the box. It was the item I ordered, neatly cushioned with bubble wrap. Relief.

As I reflected on this experience, and tried to guess how the mistake occurred, I realized there is a lesson about God’s character to be reminded of here.

We, humans, make mistakes. God never makes a mistake.

The company delivered the wrong package to me. It didn’t fit my needs. It didn’t have my name on it. It wasn’t intended for me.

God never does that.

In the Bible, we read: “As for God, His way is perfect…” (2 Samuel 22:31a NKJV)

God never makes a mistake, or as I heard a speaker say, quoting a child, “God never says oops.”

I say oops far more often than I care to admit. What a tremendous comfort can be found in knowing that God never says oops!

I like how the verse ends: “The word of the Lord is proven;

He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (2 Sam. 22:31b NKJV)

As I unwrap my gifts this Christmas, I want to remember that God never makes a mistake in what He gives me. He knows what He is doing. He is trustworthy.

May this truth warm your heart this Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

     Doors with Christmas wreaths

Peter’s Cookies

Posted on by S. J. Little
Making star Christmas cookies

Peter’s Cookies

Preschool story by S. J. Little

Entered in Susanna Hill’s 9th Annual Holiday Contest

Contest: “Write a children’s holiday story about A Holiday TREAT!”

Word count max: 250

Peter’s Cookies word count: 247

Cold snow tickled Peter’s nose as Mother hurried him along.

Suddenly, he pointed at a shop window.

“Look Mommy! Giant star cookies! Can I have one?”

Mother shook her head. “I’m sorry, Peter. Those beautiful cookies are too expensive for us.”

Peter sighed. The cookie would’ve been a yummy treat.

When they got home, Mother scurried around the house getting everything ready for when Grandpa would arrive for Christmas.

“Mommy, can you make cookies for Grandpa? He loves cookies!”

“I’m sorry, Peter, I don’t have time. I have to clean and make dinner.”

Peter frowned. Then he had an idea.

“Can I make cookies for Grandpa?”

Mother looked at him, and smiled.

“That’s a fine idea.”

Peter washed his hands and found the mixing bowl. He could do this!

One, two, three, he counted the scoops of flour.

One, two, three, he measured the spoons of sugar.

Mother cracked the eggs.

Peter stirred and mixed and stirred some more.

Then he scooped and scraped and rolled.

He cut star cookies as big as the ones in the shop.

Mother put the pan in the hot oven.

Peter put everything away.

Then he waited.

Beep, beep! The timer sounded.

Mother pulled the pan of golden cookies from the oven.

Peter added red, green, and white icing. He even put sprinkles on top.

Ding, dong! The doorbell rang.

“Grandpa!”

“Do I smell Christmas cookies?” asked Grandpa.

Peter grabbed his hand. “Come see!”

“These are beautiful! What a tasty treat!”