Lunch Routine

Our classrooms are relaxed and enjoyable spaces during lunch. Our children enjoy this calming activity, a chance to feed their bodies with healthy food, and nourish their minds with quiet conversation with friends. We all eat sitting down, bottoms on our chairs; there is no kneeling when eating at the tables. The children have 20-30 minutes to eat their lunch, supervised by an adult teaching assistant and Grade 7 monitors. Then they put away their lunch kits and water bottles, and line up to move outside for their playtime with the rest of the school. This is a playtime supervised by adults, in a designated area on the playground. Grade 7 monitors are supporting our classes by engaging the children in play and helping those who may need to come inside to use the washroom.

Lunch Ideas

Eating is more fun for young children when their food has been cut into manageable pieces for small hands, and presented in an attractive manner. It just takes a few minutes to cut a sandwich into tea-sized rectangles or triangles! Dumplings, meatballs, and pasta should all be cut-up at home so we do not have to do so at school.

• Sandwiches, cut into quarters or halves
• Cold pizza, cut into small pieces
• Quesadillas with cheese, cut into small wedges
• Pita triangles and hummus
• Mini-Muffins and cheese
• Salami/pepperoni cut into small pieces

Thermos meals have become quite popular since the start of full day Kindergarten. Please remember to supply a spoon or fork for your child. Before eating these meals at school, please practice at home using these utensils and eating out of the thermos. Again, because eating is a social activity, it is important that your child eat fairly neatly at the table and is prepared to help clean up any spilled food on the table or floor. Please do not use school as an opportunity for your child to try “new foods.” Your child should know what they will be eating everyday, and be able to enjoy it.

• Rice – please send a spoon to eat rice at school
• Soup – please send a spoon
• Pasta – if you are sending noodles, please cut them first

Kindergarten children eat their best when they have lots of choices of small, manageable foods. Finding a sectioned container with a secure lid is a helpful addition for lunch and snack preparation.