Froot Loops for Sensory Play?

[Anonymous]

I arrived at my child's daycare this morning for dropoff and the kids (about a dozen in a 3-year-old room with two teachers) were engaged in a bunch of different activities - blocks, drawing, puzzles. The other activity involved a bin full of a Froot Loop-type cereal along with cups, bowls and spoons (not toys, the same ones the kids use to eat snack) and two little ones were playing with them - filling up cups, pouring into bowls, pouring them back into the bin, etc. My son marched right over there and started eating the cereal with one of the spoons out of one of the bowls, and was admonished by one of the kids and by the teacher for doing so - the teacher told me the cereal was for sensory play. I was able to redirect him to another activity before I left but I'm confused and thought I would throw it out to everyone on the board for advice/discussion. I think this encourages playing with food, which is not something I'm thrilled about, and I was bugged by everyone telling him not to eat what was clearly food presented with a bowl and spoon at a table at what was almost time for morning snack. When I told my husband he was beyond bugged and thinks its totally ridiculous.

As background, this is a great NAEYC-accredited center where my family as been for years, and I've been totally happy with until this 3-year-old preschool room, where my child is struggling a bit because he just turned 3 and there are many kids in this room who are almost to a year older and follow directions and participate in group activities much better. I'm a totally laid-back mom and this is not my first kid.

So, what say you? Am I right in being annoyed and thinking that encouraging 3-year-olds to play with and not eat food is bass-ackwards? Or is there something I'm missing? I was an education minor but didn't focus on early childhood.

[Anonymous]

I'm with you and think that is a weird choice of materials for that activity.

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Anonymous]

I know a lot of sensory play recommends rice or beans as materials. So I don't think it's really odd at all. I understand your issue about encouraging playing with food, but I don't think it's a real problem.

It certainly isn't ridiculous or ass backward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm with you and think that is a weird choice of materials for that activity.

I find this a bit odd. Two things...

1. I wouldn't really want my kid (especially at three when I just broke him of the habit of playing with food, to be encouraged to play with food) that would turn me off.

2. If it is close to morning snack and my 2.5 year old saw cereal, bowl and spoons. He's going to eat. To admonish a 3 year old for eating a snack at snack time is confusing.

If it was uncooked rice and beans....yeah. Totally different. But cereal is the snack of choice for kids that age. I would have been bugged as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know a lot of sensory play recommends rice or beans as materials. So I don't think it's really odd at all. I understand your issue about encouraging playing with food, but I don't think it's a real problem.

It certainly isn't ridiculous or ass backward.

Uncooked rice and beans. You wouldn't cook rice and beans and hand it to the 3 year old and not expect him to eat it and say "no no no, this is for SENSORY play"

[Anonymous]

I do think this is a valid choice for a sensory table because it encourages dramatic play, serving food to their peers and getting to play with varying material is just as important as the water play and other sensory experiences teachers provide. That said, sensory play like this is so important but as a teacher they can't possibly think the kids aren't going to eat what is clearly food. I worked as a preschool teacher for years, the truth is we always had kids eating whatever is in the sensory table edible or not!!

I think the issue really is how it was handled, more understanding and explanation to your DC about the rules and expectations of the table.

[Anonymous]

On the one hand, Froot Loops do have some unique aspects, sensory-wise: lightweight, rough texture, ring shape, colorful. On the other hand, I definitely see the "we don't play with/waste food" problem. I wonder if the teachers found a big box of Froot Loops that had been forgotten and was now stale, and decided to make it useful this way?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do think this is a valid choice for a sensory table because it encourages dramatic play, serving food to their peers and getting to play with varying material is just as important as the water play and other sensory experiences teachers provide. That said, sensory play like this is so important but as a teacher they can't possibly think the kids aren't going to eat what is clearly food. I worked as a preschool teacher for years, the truth is we always had kids eating whatever is in the sensory table edible or not!!

I think the issue really is how it was handled, more understanding and explanation to your DC about the rules and expectations of the table.

I like what this poster says. I'd have no issues with my child being fruit loops for sensory play. My boys have done art projects with food too. I don't think it encourages them to play with their food. They are exploring their world and learning there is a time and place for different activities.