Playing with food

[smittenbyu]

I love how much play is involved at D's preschool. Well, the whole school's motto is learning through play. I also hear about many arts/crafts projects kindergarteners do. But one thing I don't understand is why does food need to be involved in these arts/crafts projects? Why do we need to make, for example, necklaces/bracelets with cheerios (or other similar looking cereal)?

Forget worries over allergies. But I have always been brought up with the lesson about not playing with food. I can understand these projects if you have kids under two, it's safer and not to worry too much if they swallow it or lick it. But kindergarteners are old enough, no? I guess teachers/parents assume the kids eat the stuff. But I don't really want my kid snacking all day. It's just open doors to (possibility of) cavities and that food is for play and no thought is given to the waste they produce. My daughter NEVER eats the cheerios from her bracelet. They end up in our toy box!!!

I know it's little things, but I'd rather donate that box of cheerios to the food bank. 

Comments

[aryanhwy.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, our livingroom floor is littered with uncooked macaroni, after we discovered that it's an enormously fun toy (not just for stringing on twine but also as pretend food) AND it's very cheap. (At least when it gets crushed underfoot, it's not that messy. Cheerios would be another story!)

[echomyst.livejournal.com]

I'm torn about this. I'd rather kids make necklaces out of edible or decompostable materials than say cheap plastic beads, but I also feel bad about wasting food when so many go hungry. I'm torn about arts and crafts, actually... it fosters creativity and artistic skills, but it's also very wasteful. In fact, anything that's nonessential to our survival can feel a bit wasteful...

[smittenbyu]

that's true. Like aryanhwy also said, I do it at home too. I make play dough from flour. I make gingerbread homes with graham crackers - but D eats them all up (not the play dough).

I guess it's frustrating at school because of the allergies.

[mrs-dragon.livejournal.com]

I always assumed it was because it was cheap. You can get a whole lotta bracelets out of a box of Cherrios. The same number of pony beads would be much pricer.

[fussycat.livejournal.com]

I have the same problem, and we're in the 1st grade. I grew up knowing that playing with food was a big no-no. I still cringe when I see it. I often had to go hungry as a kid, and the amount of macaroni they use in one arts class could have fed us for a week.

[sistrmoon.livejournal.com]

My 6 year old is worse about non food things in his mouth than my 2 year old.