Snack Chart and Sticks

I feel like the kids want snacks all the time.  They don't want to eat their meal, but 10 minutes after lunch they are asking for a snack.  And they always want crackers, or cereal, or cake, or marshmallows.  Even if I say, "you have to choose something healthy!"  the response is, "Ok!  How about crackers!"

So I want to be able to have a certain amount of control over what the kids are snacking on.  At the same time, I want the kids to be able to make make decision for themselves.  I want them to learn about boundaries and limits, and I even want them to experience the disappointment of not getting a snack late in the day because you indulged too much earlier.  Most of all, I want them to be able to think for themselves and be healthy!

So I've been thinking about making a snack chart for the kids to follow that limits how many and what kind of snacks they can have each day, but also allows them to decide what they will have.  I had thought about just doing a paper chart that they could cross off, but didn't entirely like that idea because 1) I would go through a lot of paper, and 2) the kids are 3 and 1 and cannot read.  A friend suggested that maybe I could use popsicle sticks instead, and I decided that was a great plan!  

I had a picture of all my supplies, but I seem to have lost it.  Instead I will make a list!

• Craft or popsicle sticks (I used the colored ones, you could use plain and mark or color them)
• A cup to keep the sticks in (I used an office pencil cup with 3 sections--one for morning and one for afternoon)
• A cup to put the "done" sticks into
• Magnets (I used the magnet roll you can buy in the craft section at Walmart.  It has a sticky back and the package says it can support up to 15 pounds.  Those magnets are worthless!  The back was not sticky enough to keep them on the cups, so I had to hot glue them on.  And they are barely "magnetic" enough to keep themselves on the fridge, much less a plastic cup filled with sticks.  I am getting by for now, but I have to be very gently opening the cupboard door and make sure I don't breathe heavily in the general direction of the cups)
• Craft paint and brushes
• Hot glue and glue gun (optional to glue on magnet)
• A snack chart (I created one with graphics on a spreadsheet.  I need pictures for my young children.)

Here is the chart I made.  I think the kids will take the pictures literally and ONLY choose those items, so I may need to change it up every once in a while until they understand that a banana would also count as a fruit, etc.  I also want to note that I make popsicles using actual fruit and vegetables...sugar popsicles you buy in the freezer at the grocery store would probably be in the "special treat" category.

 My kids like to graze and don't eat a lot at meals.  I of course really discourage that, but I also want to make sure they get enough food.  So I am giving them 2 sticks each for a morning snack (a green and either a blue or a purple) and 3 sticks each for an afternoon snack (green/blue/purple).  They get one red stick about every other day.  If they ask for a mixed snack, like crackers and cheese or carrots with hummus, I can decide at that time if they need to turn in two sticks, or if we'll just count it in one category...if they have eaten nothing at meals except bread, then I would make them turn in a protein and grain stick for crackers and cheese, in order to prevent them from eating even more crackers later.  

  

Right now the cups are on the side of the fridge.  So far the magnets are mostly working, but I have to deal with everything falling off about once a week.  Also, the lowest cup is in reaching distance of the 3 year olds.  I may have to re-think where I keep them.

Each section of the cup has a name stick glued in.  Every morning I can put the colored snack sticks into the sections, and when they eat a snack, they have to put the stick into the "done" cup.  I babysit a little boy in the mornings, so he only has a morning section.  I gave myself an afternoon section, because like my children, I would rather eat toast, crackers, and cookies all day.

I explained the process to my 3-year-old daughter this afternoon.  She then spent the next 30 minutes memorizing the snack chart, and has had fun turning in her sticks for snacks so far this afternoon.  We'll see what happens when reality sets in and she only has green sticks left...She even asked me to boil her an egg, since that was on the chart.  She doesn't really like boiled eggs.