After Eating Activity

[mamamanda]

When I had mostly preschool aged kids, once they asked to be excused from the table they were dismissed to go to a reading area, but I feel so out of sorts now that I have mostly babies/toddlers. Lately I feel like I can't even get cleaned up from a meal. One little one has to be shadowed constantly and my 17 mo sits nicely at the table while he's eating, but once he's done he hands me his plate, says "Scused," and then cries the rest of mealtime if he's expected to stay in the kitchen. I feel like I need an activity for the toddlers to do while I clean up, but I don't quite know what to do with their ages. If you have younger kids in your crew, what do you have them do following mealtime? I'm talking 10-15 minutes while others finish & I straighten up & wipe down the table. At lunch time I can lay them down for nap and then clean up, but I need some ideas for after breakfast and snack. Would they get book time if I'm just consistent? A special toy for the day? Coloring books? Do you keep them at the table or offer a special place to be dismissed to? I'm curious how others do this.

[rosieteddy]

I let them do easy puzzles or table activities-small game,dress up puzzle (Mellissa and Doug have sport boys ,princesses ect) Mr Potatoe head that kind of thing. I kept these seperate only used at table they loved it.

[Cat Herder]

I like individualized, table sized, sensory bins and free art.

Examples stolen from the webs....

[Cat Herder]

Oh, my favorite bases for those are uncooked oatmeal and poly fill these days. Easy clean up

[daycarediva]

Ha, I'm evil. I clean one up and put them on the carpet with ONE bin of toys (typically blocks, but they like the nesting toys, so I toss those on, too.) and redirect back to the carpet. Story time is right after lunch, so everyone is waiting to read.

[Play Care]

Ha, I'm evil. I clean one up and put them on the carpet with ONE bin of toys (typically blocks, but they like the nesting toys, so I toss those on, too.) and redirect back to the carpet. Story time is right after lunch, so everyone is waiting to read.

Then I'm your evil twin, I do the same

[knoxmomof2]

In my old house, I had ages 1-3 there, mealtimes were at the dining room table. I kept a couple of small bins of random items mixed together like McDs toys, wooden blocks, Mega Blocks, etc.. as well as rotating some self contained toys like a Magnadoodle or an activity cube or bead run. I also had a small container of board books and some simple sensory bins. We also did any arts / crafts, etc in there so I had basic art supplies within reach as well.

In our new home, I have a large, dedicated room just off the kitchen for the daycare, so they have kid's table & chairs to eat at. I allow them to free play once they're excused, they're just not allowed to come back to the table area until everyone is finished eating, cleaned up and I've swept the floor, cleaned the table.

[Unregistered]

We are done eating about 12:20. Sleeping bags come out and everyone lays down. I take children 1 yr. and up. Sometimes a younger child is still in a pack-n-play. I put on nature music or other sleepy time music, pull the blinds, and go about cleaning up lunch. I have two dedicated rooms. One large, one smaller where they eat. They lay down in the bigger room.

I can keep a close eye on them. I usually have at least taken the plates off the table. Works good for me. Our story time is around 9:45 so that is over. I put a book on CD on many times too.

[Unregistered]

Oh, they can look at books for about 10 minutes. They also pick out a doll or stuffed animal to lay with if they want.

[jenboo]

They sit in the library area and "read" books. 15+ months have it down. Under that, and I have to redirect them back to the carpet but they pick up on it quickly.