is threading cheerios onto strawberry laces ok with ofsted??

I think if you were to also show the inspector a menu full of hotdogs, burgers, chips, beans, chocolate ice-cream with sugar sprinklies and marshmallow and biscuit snacks with cola and cherryade to wash it all down with, you might have a problem!

However, if your food is usually healthy and the parents are happy with the odd treat, I think you'd be fine - especially if you do the "encouraging reluctant threaders" line.

Not sure about Ofsted but I love your idea and am going to steal it for the school holidays.

Leaving me lots of time to MN clean up the house.

DD is in reception and they did this at school this very week....

Be brave ... do what you normally do with the children but be sure to discuss and justify your views with the inspector. Most inspectors are really nice and will be happy to find out how this fits in with the rest of the child's week - its up to you to show that the Inspector the big picture.

If you have any written parental agreements/permissions about sweets/treats, show them to your inspector and mention that you've considered that future parents may have different views and children may have specific dietary requirement. If you have a written healthy eating policy or sample menus, show them, if not just tell the inspector about what you do. Its a great opportunity to talk about the challenges of working to official guidelines (food hygiene, nutrition - chance to talk about any training , reading or research you might have done) in conjunction with the varied needs and wishes of several parents - and being prepared in case any new family has a different attitude/dietary requirements etc.

During the activity you can demonstrate through chatting with the children how you use the activity to promote their understanding about healthy eating ... hopefully when you chat to the children they - especially the 4 year old - might make links on their own and move the conversation onto something helpful ... like looking after your teeth, or importance of exercise etc. Whatever they talk about might give you ideas for future linked activities.

Ofsted like to see that we know about the children's interests and development ... you can do this by ensuring the inspector understands you have specifically chosen to allow the children to access this activity they clearly enjoy. If you haven't already, have a look at EYFS under Physical Development (PD) - health & bodily awareness & (PSE) Self Care to link to any observations/notes you have already made.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck with your inspection.

It's a bit different though, sea, as the pasta is obviously not for eating as it is raw but the strawberry laces are sweets and can be eaten as they are.

Cheerios on strawberry laces is a good way to get my craft averse son to join in with a fine motor skill activity. threading buttons/ pasta on string... he can't see the point, so refuses to do it.
Preschool occasionally do this activity and send them home with the kids, so its parents choice if lil johnnny actually eats the sticky fluffy crummy thing or not.

why are people assuming the children would eat the necklaces

did you all eat the pasta on the pasta shape pictures you did in nursery?

I don't think many people say, "here's a treat" though, do they? Maybe they do, just never seen it personally, just an adult definition applied to it in my experience.

It's the same here, sometimes we have homemade cake, sometimes we have ice cream, sometimes we have chocolate, sometimes other people buy DD chewy sweets which I wouldn't ever have/buy. Mostly, we have fruit and yoghurt for something sweet.

Anyway... sorry for hijacking your thread OP! Good luck with your ofsted inspection.

Love the idea of cheerio strawberry lace necklaces! I bet you're a wonderful childminder. Do agree that if you get a spoilsport inspector it might be frowened on though... Why don't you do finger painting? Or washing dolls clothes in a water tray with lots of bubbles? Or making smoothies?

Mine don't eat crappy food at all.

A treat will be my baking or an ice cream but it is just something they have, not a big here is a treat deal.

What do you do then Fab, just out of interest, nothing at all or let them eat crappy food whenever they like?

We thread cheerios onto string to hang out for the birds could you not do that instead.

Food issues abundance if food starts becoming a treat.

it isn't against any regulations at all, all I would say is that you may get an inspector who is on the healthy train but if you can justify what and why you are doing it, it will be fine, i.e special treat. I found as have many that the inspectors are only interested in safeguarding and EYFS, although healthy eating is part of EYFS. If you have plenty of pics and the children can recall lots of healthy eating times you will be fine.

Good luck with your inspection

I don't mind my DD having sugar/treat things, today she has had ice cream and two slices of cake, I just really don't like the horrible gummy sweets like strawberry laces unless as another poster said, it's a treat bought by someone else.

I like the idea but unfortunately it does not fit with current fashions of good early years practice.

Unfortunately, sweets are now frowned upon - I got a lecture (nicely though) from my early years team when I suggested cupcakes, choc crispie cakes.

You need an idea that is universally acceptable to all.

In fashion at the moment are fruit kebabs, Raita (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raita), cheese straws, potato cakes (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_cake), flapjacks (which I personally think is worse than cupcakes but hey, what would I know)

I think your idea is fun and I will try it with my kids (outside childminding hours)

bleurgh I wouldn't go with rice cakes either

It's just there are SO many other fun things to do.

Am not that strict re sweets but strawberry laces and twangers and that type of additive laden stuff have always been strictly grandparents' treats

that way I get to be consistent but they are still allowed a sugar headache every now and then

what do you offer for the children to drink?

we spray painted some cheerios once to make them metallic looking

i think it sounds fab and ofsted regulations sound loopy

i actually thought it was a nice activity, but then im not a cm/parent/ofsted inspector

can understand that some mums dont want sweets so how about pasta threading or the rice cakes/cream cheese sounds good

doesit have to be cooking

can you not paint instead?