The after school kids are costing me a fortune !!

[Gizmo]

I really need to cut back on after school snacks, the kids all need something when they come in at the moment they have a choice of a frube, cheesestring, pepperami, breadstick or fruit. I just dont know what else to give them, I dont want to spend any time cooking as I do dinner for some of them as well. Any ideas ????? what do you give for a snack ?????
HELP !!!

[clio0602]

All i give for snack is fruit. Am I mean?

[Louise0208]

pepperami & cheesestrings are wayyyy to expensive for my mindees, my own kids only get them as an occasional treat

Rice cakes, fruit, a couple of biscuits, toast or a yogurt is what mindees get....

[mushpea]

monday to thursday mine get a choice of a peice of fruit and on a friday they get a 'treat' like a chocolate biscuit or a small bag of sweets or somthing similar,,, If they dont eat/want/like fruit then tough,, i used to vairy what i gave them but catering for all the different tastes was a pain,, they all like fruit so thats what they get

[mushpea]

All i give for snack is fruit. Am I mean?

certainly not unless i am too!!,

[Louise0208]

mine dont get the choice either.....its what i put in front of them or go without

[ajs]

toast or crumpets
i agree cheese strings and peperami are too expensive for an every day snack

[miss mopple]

Cut back on the expensive stuff, there are cheaper options. Mine have things like:

fruit
raisins and breadsticks
cheese (proper not cheese wtrings- they are rank IMO)
toast/crumpets/muffins
home baked flapjacks
rice cakes

I may give them cereal bars but only of they are on offer as they are so expensive, or if I am passing lidls I buy some cheaper ones there

[SYLVIA]

If the after schoolies are here for tea then they wait for dinner at 4.30ish. They will get a drink though. If they don't have tea then they get toast or fruit

[sarah707]

Toast / crumpets / fruit bread

Fruit

And a drink of water

[Gizmo]

Thanks will now offer Toast or a piece of fruit and if they dont like it they can bring their own snacks, then I might start seeing a bit of a difference in my shopping bills

[mufftie]

i give buscuits and toast , and sometimes popcorn which they love , i buy the origunal stuff that you have to pop and the kids love it and so does my pocket

[sonia ann]

I give fruit, carrot or peppers and one of the following ..........cheese and crackers, toast/muffin/scone/cereal bar or if we have been baking homemade cake or biscuits but I do not provide an evening meal.

[Louise0208]

if they dont like it they can bring their own snacks,

i tried this & it caused so many arguments between the kids

the parents arnt much help either sending a 2 year old with a 1lb bag of haribos! there was only so many time i could tell parents, no sweets or chocolate but still they sent it every day thats when i started doing my own food!

[Helen Dempster]

My mindees all get a sandwich and drink, or fruit if they want it. I was getting through so much bread, but one of the mums asked if I could just give her son one slice of bread as he was putting on weight (due to seconds at the breakfast club!) so I just use one slice for all of them now, as I thought it would be fairer.

[Donkey]

I stick bowls and plates on the table and they have an assortment

(not everything!!)

scotch pancakes (asda do smart price ones but I have boycotted asda on another reason)
crumpets
toast
fruit (fresh/tinned in juice)
tesco value shortbread (26p a pack, bargain!!)
cheerios (they love it dry, go figure!!)
any other cereal we have in (got variety packs for dirt cheap)
bread sticks
yule log (my mum had one left over from christmas and brought it round today)
biscuits
cheese
carrots

they all know they have to have fruit or they dont get the good stuff

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I feed mine at 4.45 and we get in at 3.30. There is fruit if they want a snack but if I give them anything else then they won't eat their dinner

Check their lunch boxes to see if there is anything left over as they quite often pull a fast one on me there

[Noomie]

As Debbie said. When we don't get in until 3.40ish and dinner is served an hour later, I don't give much as I want them to eat their tea.

On offer:
Any muffins, biscuits, slices, cakes (all healthy choice ones) that were made with the younger ones in the day.
Fruit
Hot Chocolate - This is a good one - satisfies for a bit but still eat their dinner!
Milk and biscuits
Rice cakes and Raisins
Sometimes crisps as treats

[loocyloo]

If the after schoolies are here for tea then they wait for dinner at 4.30ish. They will get a drink though. If they don't have tea then they get toast or fruit

same here!

i also make popcorn ( i have an air popper machine, they all love it! often the 'tea' children then ask for it for pudding! )
they like rice cakes/crackers with a topping (peanut butter/carrot/raisons is one mindees favourite! another loves marmite )
sometimes its breadsticks/veggies etc with a dip. just discovered one of my 'snack' mindees loves olives - excellent she is eating her way through the jar i bought for christmas and didn't like myself !!!
sometimes they have a tiny portion of whats for tea ( like curry & rice, with some naan bread ) or pudding!


i used to do a selection and 'help yourself', but i found by giving each 'snack' child a plate with things on, they eat a wider range of foods! but i decide what is for snack! i don't do a different thing for each child ! but one child won't have raisons, and another can't eat tomato etc so there are some variations.

[catswhiskers]

Jacobs cream cracker and cheese.