My daughter just started preschool and I'm new to this. Parents are responsible for bringing snacks each day for preschool. There are quite a few rules, and I'm just looking for some new ideas or suggestions. I am taking snacks for my daughter's birthday and am trying to decide what would be fun for 16 3-4 year olds. The last child's birthday snack was yogurt and raisins, the previous was chocolate pudding.
This is a peanut free school, so no nuts or products produced with nuts.
No deli, bakery or home prepared foods.
All food must be prepackaged or in peels/skins - all cutting, opening and handling has to be done by the school.
I forgot to mention that is all must be healthy - no ice cream, cupcakes, candy, etc.
Since we can't do cake or anything like that, I am leaning towards pudding or yogurt and teddy grahams. Does anyone have any inspirational ideas?
My daughter is 10 and not preschool, but last year for her birthday we had to have healthy snacks, so we took apple slices (I brought the pre packaged already cut ones) and cheese sticks. The class seemed to really enjoy them.
Pepperridge Farm Goldfish crackers come in multipacks at Wal Mart. If you are a member at Sam's Club, they have all kinds of 100 calorie multi-packs as well as multipacks of Cheezits, White Cheddar Cheezits and Goldfish. I bought a 100 calorie multipack for my daughter's preschool class that contained Sun Chips (Cheddar), Baked Cheetos, and White Cheddar Popcorn. There were 8 of each flavor so you'd have to buy 2 multipacks. Sam's Club also carries Rice Crispy Treats in single serve packs, Teddy Grahams, and Animal Crackers. Good luck!
Mini ice cream sandwiches? (I've even seen them in a soy version) Small plastic cups of ice cream? Frozen Gogurts? They are more expensive but I've also seen chocolate covered frozen bananas on sticks in the freezer section. Small popsicles are available as well. Good luck to you!
Graham crackers dipped in applesauce. My son loves it.
Can you send a pizza? At our school you just have it delivered at a certain time. My son has a peanut allergy and he can eat almost any pizza I just let them know when ordering. Also, you can send bananas and chocolate Teddy Grahams,strawberries and gogurt,grapes and animal crackers,jello,apples and carmel dip,scooby doo graham crackers,cheetos(kids love them), rice crispy treats, hot dogs,etc.Happy birthday to your daughter! Great job Mom!
For my daughter's birthday, I always by one bunch of bananas and cut them in thirds. They are the perfect size for little ones. As well, I take a vine of grapes and clip the vine about every 10 - 12 grapes, so they are easy to serve, however it sounds like you may not be able to do grapes. If the school doesn't mind doing the cutting, quartered oranges would work as well.
Otherwise, I go to Fresh and Easy and buy sugar free cookies, yogurt covered raisins, fruit cups, or gogurts.
My son's school is like that too...our school has a list and on that list, one of the favorite snacks to bring which is healthy and nut free are Rice Krispy treats.
My daughters PreK was the same way. Pretzels are always a good snack for kids. But I really like the pudding an teddy grahams idea.
How about a dry cereal mixture of cheerios/chex/cookie crisp/fruit loops and then throw in some M&M's aswell? A bit like the M&M & nut mix minus the nuts?
How about jello with a squirt of whipped cream on top? Isn't planning snacks around all the new rules so much fun (LOL)!
The school my kids go to is as strict as yours.. same rules with the peanut free, etc.
For their birthday, I have them a special snack: Cream cheese, Strawberries on rice cakes. The kids LOVE the taste and the way it looks. Plus they had fun making it.
A teacher also suggested parfaits (yogurt, fruits, cereal) and celery sticks with cream cheese and raisins.
You can substitue cream cheese for peanut butter in many snacks and it will still taste great.
Best wishes!
How about jello cups?
I have not read any of the other responses, but here is what I thought of. How about like the whole worms in dirt snack. It is chocolate pudding with gummy worms and crushed up oreos for the dirt on top? you can do individual pudding cups and a package of gummy worms and a package of oreos~ Good luck and have fun with it~
ok so i just remembered that you said no candy, but i mean if they can have pudding why not a gummy worm for someones birthday? good luck~
You can freeze Gogurts to make it seem a little more like ice cream. It is also easier for the little ones to eat as it doesn't drip all over the place.
Wow...I am glad that I raised my children before all of these regulations...I can understand the need for them but it sure does complicate things, doesn't it ??
How about apples, that can be sliced and served with yogurt for a dip?
There are some great prepackaged fruits in the canned fruit aisle
100 calorie snack packs of cookies, chips, rice cakes, etc
Individual juice packs
Give your daughter a few choices and see which one appeals to her!!!
here's what I don't get: the kids can have pudding....but not ice cream? Both are made with dairy products, both are sugar-laden.....so what's the difference?
I understand the "no deli"....dairy products, cross-contamination with nuts.
I understand the "no homemade"....dairy, cross-contam, + unsanitary home practices.
BUT I don't get the ....it's okay for prepackaged grah crackers, Teddy Grahams, etc............vs. no cupcakes, etc Aren't cookies just as sweet as cupcakes? & cookies are made with dairy, too. Why are prepackaged cookie products okay & prepackaged cupcakes are not? Help me understand!
Anyway, what about a marshmallow fluff dip.....but avoid the cream cheese (that's normally mixed in) because of dairy issues? Use the marshmallow with fruit & grah crackers.
A watermelon boat, castle, etc.....filled with fruit salad.
Grah crackers spread with canned frosting & decorated with sprinkles.
Slices of banana, coated with sundae sprinkles. Kids love them!
Smores made in the microwave at school.
Good Luck!
Teddy grahams is a good idea; they even have chocolate flavored ones. You can also do popcorn, cheese and crackers (you can buy cheese that is sliced into shapes), string cheese, bagels, applesauce, fruit cups, and maybe even the jello cups with fruit in them (not all preschoolers like having fruit in their jello, though).
You should also be allowed to send home a goody item or bag for each child. Pencils, stickers, coloring book...
Hillary,
When my youngest was in preschool, his favorite snack to share with the class was string cheese (prepackage mozzarella sticks), yogurt and blueberries. The funny thing is that I never gave that to him at home. He chose it for school. Even stranger, none of the kids had eaten that snack. By the end of snacktime, it had become the class favorite.
For party snack, do you have a Trader Joes? My boys like the Cat Cookies. They sort of like teddy grahams but cat shapes. Trader Joes also sells merinque cookies. My kids like the way the cookies melt on their tongues.
Happy Birthday to your daughter and good luck.
~K.
My daughter's preschool provides the snack and so far the absolute favorite is animal crackers. It also provides us (I'm a teacher) with the opportunity to name the animals and talk about each one. I know they don't seem that exciting, but they are....they nearly cause a riot when I mention them in the bathroom while washing hands before snack.
