Enabling Environments: Free Choice - Self service

Providing free choice to children is central to good practice within the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children enjoy being able to choose, and with that freedom, they are able to take control of their learning and develop it in ways that they want.

As part of our practice, we offer free-flow access to the outdoors, which has proved beneficial for the children, extending their choice and reflecting more closely their 'at home' experience. We have now developed children's free choice further in our pre-school room, where we have a self-serve snack bar, called Roarie's.

Many settings use this idea, but we have taken the idea a step further by providing a toaster, so offering greater choice - and with that, responsibility - for the children.

The snack bar is available throughout the morning session. There, we provide:

- a snack - available from 9.30 to 10.30am and laid out on a platter along with a variety of fruits;

- fresh fruit - available throughout the session and stored in a mini fridge;

- water - each child has a water bottle with their name and photo on it;

- a toasting option, such as muffins or crumpets. Letting the children use the toaster means their snack is always nice and fresh.

The children use self-registration as they arrive at nursery and then add a snack picture to the registration board to signal that they have had a snack.

Before introducing the toaster, we talked through safety issues with the children. As a reminder, we provide an illustrated timeline explaining how to use the toaster, along with a warning sign reminding them the toaster may be hot.

Parents have been supportive and very happy with our decision to introduce the toaster, as have the children, who enjoy the responsibility of using what they see as an adult piece of equipment.

The snack bar brings many benefits (see box), but best of all it develops children's:

- ability to assess risk - the children are aware the toaster gets hot and so will wait until it cools;

- self-esteem and confidence;

- independence and life skills.

Helen Dashfield is nursery manager at Castle Garden Day Nursery, a Treetops Nursery in Duffield.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The learning that can occur in using the snack bar covers all areas of the curriculum.

Personal, social and emotional development

- Take initiative and manage developmentally appropriate tasks;

- Value and contribute to own well-being and self-control;

- Have a positive approach to activities and events;

Communication, language and literacy

- Respond to simple instructions;

- Listen to others one to one or in small groups when conversation interests them;

- Use one-handed tools and equipment;

Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy

- Use own methods to work through a problem;

- Begin to understand 'bigger than' and 'enough';

- Use some number names and number language spontaneously.

Creative development

- Talk about personal intentions, describing what they were trying to do;

- Notice what adults do, imitating what is observed and then doing it spontaneously when the adult is not there;

Knowledge and understanding of the world

- Use ICT to perform simple functions;

- Know how to operate simple equipment;

- Begin to try a range of tools and techniques safely.

Physical development

- Engage in activities requiring hand-eye co-ordination;

- Understand that equipment and tools have to be used safely;

- Show awareness of own needs with regards to eating sleeping and hygiene;

- Practise some appropriate safety measures without direct supervision.