Classroom Rules

For teachers new to Crunch&Sip, the logistics of having 30 or more children eating vegetables and fruit in class can be a little bewildering! But Crunch&Sip aims to add to learning, not detract from it. Here is a guide on how to introduce Crunch&Sip into the classroom.

  • Get the message out to students. Talk about what they need to do to participate and distribute Crunch&Sip bookmarks.
  • Get the message out to parents. Order or download resources to send home with students, place inserts in the school newsletter or discuss at school meetings.
  • Set some Crunch&Sip classroom rules (ideas below) Include these in your start-of-year classroom behaviour discussions.
  • Establish a time for Crunch&Sip each day. This does not have to be a 'mini-recess' and can be incorporated into classroom activities.

Apply to become a Crunch&Sip School

Apply to become a Crunch&Sip Classroom

Rules

Each classroom should establish ground rules to assist Crunch&Sip to run smoothly and safely. Crunch&Sip Classrooms should start with these simple rules:

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY:

  • Students should bring vegetables or fruit from home each day to eat during Crunch&Sip. Remind parents that small, whole fruits and vegetables like grapes and cherry tomatoes can be a choking hazard for younger children, so these should be sliced into halves or quarters to send to school.
  • Students should fill up their water bottles each day

PERMITTED FOOD AND DRINK:

HYGIENE:

  • Water bottles should be washed daily
  • All fruit and vegetables are to be washed before eating (at home is OK)
  • Students should wash their hands before eating

In addition to these standard rules, individual schools and classrooms can include extra rules to make Crunch&Sip run smoothly in the local setting.

Helpful hints

  • When students arrive in the morning, they can bring in their full water bottle and fruit or veg from their bag for the Crunch&Sip break. It will soon become part of the morning routine.
  • While all fresh fruit and veg are great choices as recess and lunch items, not all are suitable for a Crunch&Sip break. Trying to eat a whole orange or mango will get messy. Encourage students to bring easy to eat, pre-cut vegetables or fruit. If you are concerned about a particular fruit or vegetable being brought in, you can exclude this food in the Crunch&Sip rules for your individual classroom or school.
  • Keep a bucket or bin with a lid for students to add their fruit and veg scraps, then transfer to the school compost bin or worm farm at the end of the school day.
  • Some ideas for scheduling Crunch&Sip into the day:
    • Have the Crunch&Sip break during lesson transition times, for example, as students come into the class from morning fitness, or between literacy and numeracy lessons.
    • Use news time, story read alouds or silent reading.
    • Have a set time for a Crunch&Sip break every day. Some schools allow students 5-10 minutes to use the toilet, stretch and eat their fruit or veg.
  • We strongly discourage students from grazing on fruit and vegetables throughout the day. Not only can this promote unhealthy snacking habits, but many teachers report that it is more disruptive. Kids may choose inappropriate times to eat their fruit and veg and it can mean that more kids do not participate as it is not seen as compulsory. Other students may eat excessive amounts because they see it as a way of avoiding work.