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Children eating packed lunch outside?

189 replies

OldMaaa · 21/05/2026 18:09

Is it just me or is this a bit bonkers?

My children are at Primary school.

I found out recently (from my child not via school communication) that the children who bring in packed lunches are allowed to take them outside to eat in the playground.

This first came up as my children sometimes take in soup in a thermos cup. Recently eldest child reported that their soup was kicked over before they had consumed any, so essentially missing the main portion of their lunch. After a bit of (quite confused) discussion I discovered soup was on the floor outside, which led to a conversation about why?! This is normal apparently.

I'm thinking about it again today, as I noticed child had brought home most of their sandwiches and when I asked if there was something wrong with them they said no. "They were lovely but I got distracted".

Am I mad/out of touch to be thinking that children should be sat down at tables while they're eating their lunch regardless of whether they're packed lunch or school dinners. Or is this common in other schools?

I never want to be the kind of parent who bothers the school unnecessarily, but I am considering asking them about this as I don't understand it.

But I would appreciate some other perspectives as maybe my perspective is wrong?

OP posts:
NoIDontWantToDoIt · 24/05/2026 03:41

In my country, this is completely normal. There is hardly any chairs or tables for sitting at. On the ground it is.

LemonDropsXx · 23/05/2026 22:12

Children eat their packed lunches outside all year round in Australia. Let them enjoy the fresh air. It’s so common in other countries other than the UK and I’m sure I remember being at primary school in the UK 20 years ago doing the same!

PyongyangKipperbang · 23/05/2026 21:27

My kids are all well past primary now but they were allowed to eat outside as long as I remember. But, their school would have the kids sitting on the grass and eat their lunch, only allowing them to go and play once they had finished. So they ate fast! Lunches werent just handed out and then eaten or not as the kids liked. So that is a compromise that I was happy with.

AgnesMcDoo · 23/05/2026 20:54

NDFB · 23/05/2026 18:43

Am aghast at this. Lunch should be at tables. Do they sit children outside on the ground for their own over-priced school dinners? I would complain OFFICIALLY as this is a WELFARE issue (children missing out on their lunch). I would ask the teachers if they would like to eat their lunch on the ground with children running around them kicking things over.

Are you serious? 🤣🤣🤣

This has to be a joke reply.

bigsoftcocks · 23/05/2026 20:46

Christ on a bike. Let’s find an issue when there is NO issue!

OliviaBonas · 23/05/2026 20:39

I also used to love having my packed lunch on the field at primary school in the 90s. I didn’t know some schools still did it.

Miyagi99 · 23/05/2026 20:35

OldMaaa · 21/05/2026 18:20

Well lunch not being eaten/soup kicked over and spilled due to not having a proper sit down mealtime. I thought that would have been obvious from my post. Confused

Are they standing up to eat then?

Contrarymary30 · 23/05/2026 20:33

OldMaaa · 21/05/2026 18:20

Well lunch not being eaten/soup kicked over and spilled due to not having a proper sit down mealtime. I thought that would have been obvious from my post. Confused

I think kids should at the very least be sitting down to eat . If there are tables and supervision outside then that's OK.

LubyLooTwo · 23/05/2026 20:28

If the weather is nice it's great they are having packed lunches outside. Can't see the problem

SweetnsourNZ · 23/05/2026 19:53

EvilEdna44 · 23/05/2026 06:13

I’m with you op.
I’ve nothing against al fresco dining but it should be properly supervised and sat at a table to ensure children are getting adequate nourishment, before they run around and play.
I’m from a generation where you sit at a table to eat… I gather that’s a dying tradition though.

We used to have a bell to go for lunch, then another bell would sound 15 minutes later for play. A couple of teachers would be walking around supervising.

BrendaSmall · 23/05/2026 19:48

OldMaaa · 21/05/2026 18:20

Well lunch not being eaten/soup kicked over and spilled due to not having a proper sit down mealtime. I thought that would have been obvious from my post. Confused

Have you never had picnics with your children??

SweetnsourNZ · 23/05/2026 19:47

Smeegall · 23/05/2026 08:21

This is horrible

It was. I still remember it decades later. A young teacher started yelling at me too and trying to make me swallow my food. Luckily a teacher who was also one of our towns ambulance officers saw what was happening and made me spit out. That's when I saw the wasp. Have had a fear of them ever since.

Ultraalox · 23/05/2026 19:06

Ours sit out on mats under a huge canopy (in nice weather) it’s lovely and the children love it!

TouchtheEarth · 23/05/2026 18:57

Nothing at all wrong with eating outside, but schoolchildren shouldn't be left anywhere unsupervised to eat their lunches. If they were sitting outside at tables or in a specified area, there could be supervision and that would eliminate the kicking of other people's food or getting distracted.

tiramisugelato · 23/05/2026 18:47

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

NDFB · 23/05/2026 18:43

Am aghast at this. Lunch should be at tables. Do they sit children outside on the ground for their own over-priced school dinners? I would complain OFFICIALLY as this is a WELFARE issue (children missing out on their lunch). I would ask the teachers if they would like to eat their lunch on the ground with children running around them kicking things over.

Anyahyacinth · 23/05/2026 18:40

OldMaaa · 21/05/2026 18:24

If they were sat down at tables/on the floor I wouldn't have queried it TBH. Not so much the lack of being indoors. I like the outdoors and we eat outside a lot at home. But we sit down to do it and don't like the kids eat and play at the same time. Eat then play. Maybe we are weird.

No I agree with you, it doesn't sound organised or safe. A choking hazard for one thing.

Do they sit in shade? Talk with parents about sun protection? Have clean hands to eat finger food?

I wouldn't like being unaware of this either

deste · 23/05/2026 13:34

I thought that was called a picnic and what child doesnt like a picnic.

Twasasurprise · 23/05/2026 12:43

pollymere · 22/05/2026 23:17

My kid's school had a lovely shaded area where they could picnic. The Lunch Time Supervisors wouldn't let children run off and play until they'd shown they'd eaten their lunch. Soup isn't a safe option for a school lunch as it involves hot liquids and glass. I'm surprised that the school is okay with that.

Glass? I haven't seen a thermos made with glass on sale for a lomg time, although I do still have a drinks one I bought almost 30 years ago. Certainly no glass in the ones used as children's food flasks these days.

I don't see an issue with soup in a flask, but do think a thick chunky stew-type soup is more suitable to pack for school than a thin broth. It's unlikely to still be scalding hot by lunchtime, but a good temperature for eating.

LilyT12 · 23/05/2026 09:34

I grew up in a hot country. We only ate outside. There was no indoor area to eat and certainly not in the classroom. No table areas. We would sit in groups with our friends on the ground and chat whilst we ate. Then pack our lunchboxes away in our lunch cooler bags (had to have them or you would be eating manky soggy sandwiches from the heat), and then head off to play. We loved sitting out eating al fresco. Got our Vit D. On esp hot days we would seek out shade under a tree or from a building. And if it was raining, you would find somewhere to shelter and stand so your dress didn't get dirty from the mud. Your clothes would be dry in a half hour. Different climate of course. But loved eating out in the sunshine

EvieBB · 23/05/2026 09:28

Londonrach1 · 23/05/2026 06:32

Can't see the issue. It's always been the case in primary schools and a huge treat. In Europe they eat outside every day. Tbh I think it's strange you send hot soup for lunch.

I don't think it's strange at all... I remember loads of kids at my dd's school bringing hot soup/curry/stew in a flask as a change from sarnies
Why the unnecessary judgement? 🤷🏻‍♀️

MsGreying · 23/05/2026 09:11

OldMaaa · 21/05/2026 18:21

Well there we go. We never ate outside when I was at primary school in the 90s.

I have learned something new today!

Thanks all. Smile

We didn't in the 70s or 80s.
Eat dinner and then go outside.

Deadleaves77 · 23/05/2026 08:38

We ate packed lunch outside all year round when I was a child unless it was raining and then we had to eat in our classrooms, I just assumed this was normal. Even in secondary we mostly ate outside, its blown my mind a little that others may have been eating their packed lunch at a table inside

EmeraldShamrock000 · 23/05/2026 08:23

Yes, you are out of touch. It’s been happening since I was a child when the weather is warm.
I think the change of scenery is a good thing.

Smeegall · 23/05/2026 08:21

SweetnsourNZ · 23/05/2026 06:20

Worst thing that happened to me was eating a wasp when I was about 8. Luckily I didn't swallow it but it sung the inside of my mouth multiple times and I didn't actually know what was happening at first. I remember thinking my mouth was falling apart.

This is horrible

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