According to my daughter, previous snack box goodies had included cookies, chips, candy bars and chocolate bars. At first I was skeptical of this report, but a call to the teacher confirmed her report.

To say the least, I was amazed. I understand that not all parents are aware of the growing obestity problem among today’s youth because it doesn’t effect them, but even I wouldn’t allow my kid to eat these kind of “snacks” on a daily basis. It simply doesn’t matter if you have an overweight child or not – all of these products made from refined sugars are not good for kids. Sure, they’re alright every once in a while, but not on a daily basis.

So what can you do? How can you convice the other parents of the class that they should be sending in healthier snacks? Better yet, how do you send healthier snacks? You can’t make things at home anymore because of the potential for food born illnesses, so any snacks that get sent in for other children than your own need to be store bought. And, they need to be the kind of thing that kids will eat…which might be the hardest part of it all.

So, what I did was simple and seems to be something that other parents like. I got in touch with some other mothers in the class and brainstormed some ideas with them after sharing my concerns. One of my other children attended a weight loss camp a couple years ago, so I had a good number of ideas when we sat down to develop a plan. The hardest part was figuring out how to “scale” the snacks for an entire classroom, but with a group of adults, we were more than able to figure it out. Once we had some ideas ironed out, we printed out a take home sheet that we gave to the teacher who then distributed it to the rest of the parents. Of course the teacher was on our side – she had been battling sugar snacks for years! Would you want to have 20 or so kids hopped up on sugar under your responsibility?

Here are some of the things we came up with. Some of these ideas won’t work if there are children in the class with peanut allergies, so make sure you check with your child’s teacher.

1) Yogurt covered raisins, cashews, and soy nuts mixed together like a trail mix

2) Strawberries and Cream: Sliced strawberries (or unsweetened frozen strawberries) and plain vanilla yogurt. For service, call a local restaurant and ask them if they’d be willing to donate some small “take out” containers that the kids can use and check with your local deli or ice cream shop to see if they’ll donate some small tester spoons.

3) Sugar or Toffee coated nuts and grapes. (Yes, there is some sugar involved here, but the proteins, vitamins, and Omega 3 in the nuts far outweighs the sugar).

4) Turkey and cheese rollups (these are essentially a piece of turkey from the deli rolled together with a small piece of mild cheese)

Keep in mind that these are snacks – not meals. They may not seem like a lot of food, but we’re talking about 5-8 year olds here that have small stomachs, right? Let’s keep it that way.

On another note, I mentioned above that some of the snack ideas I had came from when my older child attended a weight loss camp. If you have a child that struggles with weight issues, it is especially important that you do your part to make sure that “snack time” is a healthy time of the day. And, if you really need some help, know that there are a lot of excellent weight loss camps for kids out there.

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Classroom Rugs

Classroom rugs are an ideal way to separate a classroom into sections without using large dividers that make the room look more cluttered. A large rug can fit the entire class and offers restless Kindergarteners a visual boundary. Teachers can instruct students to go sit on the rug and students know immediately where to go, and what the boundaries of the area are, the outline of the rug. In this setting, teachers can do reading time, go over flashcards, or have class discussion time.

In addition to a large classroom rug, adding a few small rugs can be very useful in organizing the classroom. Small rugs are ideal for centers or small group learning. When a small group of students needs to be instructed separately or when the class needs to be broken into reading groups, the small rug is great. There is no need to move chairs or push other items aside to make room. Teachers can just send students to a small area already mark out by a rug.

Cubbies

Individual storage areas are another must have item in a Kindergarten classroom. Whereas older students can mostly keep themselves organized by hanging their items on hooks or putting things away inside desks, Kindergarten students are still learning. For many kids, school is a brand new experience and they still need help organizing their things. Backpacks, lunch bags, coats, extra clothes, and special stuffed animals can be easily stored in cubbies.

Individual areas can be labeled with the child’s name. All the items belonging to that child as well as the papers and projects they do at school can be placed in their private space. Cubbies do not take up much room and are a great way to keep everything organized. Parents can easily have access to the cubbies as well when dropping off or picking up students.

Cubbies aren’t just for a student’s belongings. Cubbies are also ideal for organizing classroom supplies such as toys, art supplies, construction paper, art smocks, manipulatives, and more. Units such as the Mainstream Cubby Units come with pull out plastic bins to make storing that much easier. Cubbies also offer students a way to learn responsibility for their own belongings and their classroom belongings.

Having an organized classroom is very important when it comes to a Kindergarten, or any, classroom. Students learn better and teachers can instruct without stress in a less chaotic classroom. Using classroom rugs and cubbies is an affordable way to keep your Kindergarten classroom organized and running smoothly.

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Themed Carpets

Themed carpets open up many learning opportunities for students. Carpets are available in a variety of themes including letters, numbers, nature, and more. These carpets allow teachers to make up games that engage students in learning. Themed carpets are so much more than a place just for students to sit. For example, teachers can send students to a letter themed carpet, call out a student?s name and a letter, and the student has to find that letter on the carpet. This is just one idea of how to use a themed carpet.

Other themed carpets such as the Musical Chairs Education Carpet and Hopscotch Rectangular Learning Rug come already set up for games that help students learn. Students will look forward to a time spent playing games on a specially-themed carpet. Having an area already set up for learning games saves time for teachers and makes it easy to reinforce concepts.

Carpets as a Way to Divide

Teachers like to keep classrooms organized and with an open feel. Classroom carpets are one way to divide the classroom without limiting the open feel. A carpet offers a natural boundary for students. Teachers can instruct students to only go on the carpet or to go any where except on the carpet and students will understand the boundaries.

When teachers need to divide the class for learning reasons, reading groups, free time, or other necessary times, the carpet is a great way to do this. One group can sit on the carpet and receive instruction while the other group stays in seats to participate in another activity. This allows the teacher to divide the classroom without moving tables and chairs.

Carpets as a Way to Introduce New Concepts

Some teachers use their carpets as a very special area. For example, they only have their students gather on the carpet for a special announcement, to learn something new, or to do something they haven?t done before. This way, students know that when they are called to the carpet, they need to be paying attention for something special.

In line with this are some learning rugs that help introduce new themes such as Signs of Time Learning Rug which teaches sign language or the Note Worthy Musical Children?s Carpet which teaches musical notes. Gathering kids on these types of carpets weekly or daily to learn a new sign or a new note will be very exciting for students.

Teachers love classroom rugs because they offer a way to reinforce themes, a way to introduce new concepts, and a practical way to organize the classroom. Incorporating a classroom carpet is a smart way to integrate organization, design and theme quickly and easily.

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Easels Make Great Art Centers

Having an art center is an important aspect of a classroom. Students can express themselves in a way that is all their own. Along with easels, art centers can include paper, paints, paintbrushes, crayons, makers, or colored pencils. Teachers can assign an art project to reinforce a lesson or theme. Or a teacher can assign ?free? drawing time. When a student is finished the teacher can discuss the drawing with them or allow them to present it to the class. Easels are a fun way for students to take pride in their work.

Easels Work In Any Size Classroom

Many people think of an easel in the traditional way: a one sided work surface that displays artwork. Well, easels have come a long way. Easels come in many different sizes and allow single or multiple students to work. Easels such as the 2 Station Child?s Easel allows two students to work at once. The 4 Station Space Saver Easel allows four students to work at once. Both have plenty of storage space for each student?s supplies.

Easels Work for Any Size Student

Many of the best easels are adjustable. This allows students who are younger to work on the same easel as older students. It also allows for special needs students who may need to sit or may be in a wheelchair to be able to work at an easel. The 3 Way Adjustable Easel adjusts from 36? to over 46? to accommodate any size student. Adjustable easels are a great money saving option for schools where many students will share the same easels.

Easels Allows for Many Different Types of Activities

Easels are not just for painting. Though painting is an option, easels are very versatile when it comes to the type of art work and activities that can be done. Many easels come equipped with space for multiple tasks. For example, the KidKraft Deluxe Wood Easel comes with a paper dispenser for painting or drawing, a whiteboard, and a chalkboard. These types of easels give students a way to express their inner artist in different ways.

Some easels such as the 4 in 1 Table Top Easel provides a magnetic whiteboard which allows students to play with magnetic letters, magnetic word strips, or magnetic numbers to help reinforce lessons. This is a great way for students who need a little extra practice to be able to practice in a different way. Classroom art areas are always one of the most popular spots in a room. Students love and need the opportunity to express themselves in a creative, artistic way. Easels are an ideal way to bring out the artist in every student.

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Create a Room within a Room

Classroom rugs can provide a room within a room. This means that the teacher has a space that is measured out, well defined, and easy for kids to identify. A simple, ?Please sit on the carpet? request by a teacher means that students know exactly where to go. Since the design of a carpet outlines itself, children know the boundaries. Sitting on the carpet means that students can easily and quickly be sent to one area where further instruction can take place.

Provide a More Personal Setting

Sometimes classrooms can feel impersonal with students sitting at their own desks in their own area. This is needed for some classroom instruction, testing, and other individual activities. But- to bring the class together in a personal setting, the classroom carpet is the ideal place. Students can sit in rows on the rug for story time or sit around the rug for discussion time or an educational game. Classroom rugs become a memory building space for students to get to know each other and the teacher just a little bit better.

Classroom Rugs Create an Area of Separation

For some students, getting some alone time or space from other students is necessary. Having a classroom carpet gives teachers a well defined, outlined, safe area to send a student that needs some momentary space. Teachers can ask a student to ?go take a breather? on the carpet and the student can easily understand what he is supposed to do.

Educational Opportunities

There are many different classroom rugs available that are educational. Such rugs as the ABC Caterpillar Rug, Fishing for Literacy Rug, and the Pond Carpet can be used as educational tools. While sitting on the rug, teachers can ask students what letter they are sitting on and then ask them to name things that start with that letter. Teachers can have students line up and hop on the letters that spell their name. The ideas and creative learning moments are endless with classroom rugs of this kind.

A Place For Expression

Some classroom rugs have symbols and signs that allow children to express their feelings and teachers to express their pride in students. For example, there is a Signs of Emotions Rug that allows students to stand or sit on the emotion they are feeling and the teacher can then help the child talk about those emotions. I also like the Motivational Mat Carpet that allows a teacher to send a student who has made a good choice or accomplished a task to the carpet to stand on the thumbs up or smiley face. Giving students a creative way to express themselves is invaluable to teachers.

Any classroom can benefit from a classroom carpet. Teachers and students alike will love the versatility and many options that classroom rugs provide. These rugs truly can become a teacher?s best friend.

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