Food Play Policy at Mulberry Garden

At Mulberry Garden we ensure any food we use for play with the children is carefully supervised. Food will be used for play if food has been donated, left over from lunch, such as plain pasta, as it can enhance opportunities for the children. We support the environment and do not want to waste food unnecessarily.

We use the following procedures to ensure children are kept safe:

●  Choking hazards are checked and avoided.

●  We will not use whole jelly cubes for play. If we do use jelly to enhance our play then all jelly will be prepared with water as per the instructions and then used.

●  Small objects such as dried pasta and pulses will only be used for older children and under supervision.

●  Allergies and intolerances will be checked and activities will be adapted to suit all children’s needs so no child is excluded.

●  Activities including food will be included on the planning sheets showing allergens so that staff and parents are aware of the ingredients.

●  Children’s allergies will be visible to staff when placing out food play activities to ensure all needs are met.

●  Any cooking activities will be checked prior to the start to ensure children are able use all the ingredients based on their individual needs.

●  We will not use food in play unless it enhances the opportunities children are receiving from the activity. Many of the food will be reused in other activities, especially the dry materials.