Food Play Policy

At Winston’s Place Day Nursery, we recognise that food play can be a valuable part of early learning, supporting children’s sensory development, curiosity, creativity and understanding of the world.

Food play activities are carefully planned, risk assessed and supervised to ensure children’s safety, wellbeing and inclusion, in line with the EYFS Statutory Framework, The Food Safety Act 1990, Food Hygiene guidance, The Equality Act 2010, Ofsted safeguarding and welfare requirements.

“Providers must take all necessary steps to keep children safe and well”, “children learn and develop well in enabling environments with teaching and support from adults” (EYFS Statutory Framework 2025).

Purpose of food play

Food play is used to enhance children’s learning and development and is never undertaken without clear educational purpose. Practitioners carefully consider the learning intentions of each activity and how it supports children’s individual interests, schemas, developmental stages and next steps in learning.

Food play forms part of our ambitious curriculum and provides rich opportunities for children to investigate, explore, problem solve and develop critical thinking skills through meaningful first-hand experiences. Practitioners use observations and knowledge of each child to plan experiences that build upon prior learning and support continued progress.

Activities may support:
• Sensory exploration (texture, smell, temperature, colour)
• Fine motor development
• Communication and language
• Mathematical concepts such as quantity and capacity
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Understanding of the World, including where food comes from, healthy lifestyles, sustainability and cultural diversity
• The Characteristics of Effective Learning by encouraging children to play and explore, actively learn and think critically

Food play activities are appropriate to children’s age, stage of development and individual needs.

Safety and supervision

At Winston’s Place Day Nursery, all food play activities are fully supervised by staff to ensure children remain safe throughout the activity.

The nursery follows robust risk assessment procedures to minimise hazards and promote safe learning experiences.

We will use the following procedures to ensure children are kept safe:
• Choking hazards are identified and avoided
• All food play activities are fully supervised by staff at all times
• Activities are adapted where necessary to meet individual needs
• Age-appropriate resources are selected
• Practitioners maintain effective staff development, remain vigilant throughout activities and respond promptly to children’s individual needs and levels of understanding

Use of specific food items
• We will not use whole jelly cubes for play. If we use jelly to enhance our play, all jelly will be prepared with water as per the manufacturer’s instructions before use
• Small objects such as dried pasta and pulses will only be used for older children and under close supervision
• Foods that present a higher choking risk (e.g. whole grapes, nuts, popcorn) will not be used in food play activities
• Hot foods or liquids will only be used when appropriate, fully risk assessed and cooled to a safe temperature before use

Allergies, intolerances and inclusion

The nursery is committed to inclusive practice and ensuring all children can participate safely.

Before any food play activity:
• Children’s allergies and intolerances are checked
• Staff review dietary and medical information
• Suitable alternatives are prepared where required
• Allergen risks are assessed

Children’s allergy information is clearly visible to staff preparing and supervising activities.

Cooking and tasting activities are checked in advance to ensure ingredients are suitable for all participating children.

No child will be excluded from an activity due to allergies or dietary requirements; suitable alternatives will always be provided. This supports our inclusive practice and duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Practitioners recognise and value children’s diverse cultural, religious and dietary needs and ensure experiences reflect and celebrate the backgrounds of children and families within our nursery community.

Hygiene and food safety

Good hygiene practices are followed at all times during food play activities to reduce the risk of contamination and illness.

“Providers must maintain high standards of hygiene in their premises and practices” (EYFS Statutory Framework 2025).
• Children and staff wash hands before and after food play
• Surfaces and equipment are cleaned before and after activities
• Food used for play is not eaten unless the activity has been specifically planned as a cooking or tasting activity and meets food hygiene standards
• Any perishable food used for play is disposed of safely after the activity
• Practitioners use food play experiences to support children’s understanding of healthy lifestyles, self-care and age-appropriate hygiene practices

Environmental awareness and responsible use of food

We will not use food in play unless it enhances the opportunities children are receiving from the activity.

We recognise the importance of promoting respect for food and reducing waste. Much of the food used will be reused in other activities where safe to do so, particularly dry materials

Food play is carefully planned to minimise waste and avoid unnecessary use of edible food.

Children are encouraged to develop an awareness of sustainability, environmental responsibility and the value of food through meaningful discussions and experiences.

Staff responsibilities

Staff are responsible for ensuring food play activities are planned, risk assessed, inclusive and supervised. Any concerns regarding allergies, safety or suitability of materials must be raised with the room leader or management team before the activity takes place.

Practitioners continually evaluate the impact of food play experiences on children’s learning and development. Reflective practice is used to ensure activities remain purposeful, inclusive and responsive to children’s interests, developmental needs and next steps.

Staff access regular training and professional development opportunities to ensure their knowledge of food safety, safeguarding, child development and inclusive practice remains current.

Partnership with parents

Parents are informed of food play activities through displays or communication systems. Any concerns from parents regarding food play will be listened to and addressed promptly.

We actively encourage parents and carers to contribute ideas, recipes, cultural experiences and information about children’s interests to enhance food-related learning opportunities and strengthen links between home and nursery learning.

Safeguarding and EYFS compliance

Food play activities form part of our wider safeguarding and risk assessment procedures and support the EYFS requirement to keep children safe while promoting learning and development.

Leaders regularly monitor and review food play practices to ensure they remain safe, inclusive, purposeful and aligned with the nursery’s curriculum intent, safeguarding responsibilities and the requirements of the EYFS Statutory Framework.