Starting Preschool

[Cookieholic]

Hi everyone. I'm new here to the board. My 4 year old is going to be starting preschool this August, and while I've given her teachers a list of all the foods she can and cant have, I'm not sure of what crafts shes allowed to do, is there anything thats a big no-no for celiacs kids? She also has a severe rice allergy that I have to watch out for too. Any info is appreciated!

[IrishHeart]

Welcome to the forum!

No Play Dough.

I am sure other Moms will chime in here with more suggestions!

[Mizzo]

Hi everyone. I'm new here to the board. My 4 year old is going to be starting preschool this August, and while I've given her teachers a list of all the foods she can and cant have, I'm not sure of what crafts shes allowed to do, is there anything thats a big no-no for celiacs kids? She also has a severe rice allergy that I have to watch out for too. Any info is appreciated!

No Crayola or Rose Art Modeling clay but Crayola model magic is ok

No macaroni art

[Cookieholic]

thank you! i've also heard that elmers glue is a no no and finger paints, are there any paints that are ok? or glues? i'd like to provide her with the things she can use at school if they dont have them.

[kareng]

Google products to find out the truth about them. For instance, from the Elmer's glue site:

"Is Elmer's glue gluten free?

All of our products are gluten free except for the Elmer's Finger Paints. The finger paints contain wheat and oat products."

[Sesara]

Hey Cookieholic! I have nothing constructive to add, but I'm glad you found your way over here, and these parents know their stuff when it comes to Celiac and school.

[rysmom]

Don't forget to check the soap and hand sanitizers they use in the classroom.

[Cara in Boston]

Also find out if they make their own playdough and/or bake often in the kitchen space. Flour can remain airborne for hours and eventually settle on every surface posing a risk for cross-contamination.

Keep reminding your child to keep her hands away from her mouth and always wash with soap and running water before eating. (Some schools have kids just use hand-sanitizer before meals to avoid long lines at the sinks)

I send a placemat from home for my son to put on the table when he unpacks his lunch. I don't trust the tables - even when wiped down before lunch - I feel like all the sponges are likely to be full of crumbs and such.

We use these:

http://www.(Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned)/Wrap-n-Mat-Reusable-Sandwich-Pouch-Gingham/dp/B003XX5WGS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343658486&sr=8-1&keywords=snack+wrap

My son is so sensitive, he cannot eat anything prepared in a regular kitchen, even if the ingredients are gluten-free. Lots of parents tried to be helpful by making gluten-free cupcakes for birthdays but he couldn't eat them anyway. It was hard to get that point across to everyone.

Cara

[kareng]

Also find out if they make their own playdough and/or bake often in the kitchen space. Flour can remain airborne for hours and eventually settle on every surface posing a risk for cross-contamination.

Keep reminding your child to keep her hands away from her mouth and always wash with soap and running water before eating. (Some schools have kids just use hand-sanitizer before meals to avoid long lines at the sinks)

I send a placemat from home for my son to put on the table when he unpacks his lunch. I don't trust the tables - even when wiped down before lunch - I feel like all the sponges are likely to be full of crumbs and such.

We use these:

http://www.(Company Name Removed - They Spammed This Forum and are Banned)/Wrap-n-Mat-Reusable-Sandwich-Pouch-Gingham/dp/B003XX5WGS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343658486&sr=8-1&keywords=snack+wrap

My son is so sensitive, he cannot eat anything prepared in a regular kitchen, even if the ingredients are gluten-free. Lots of parents tried to be helpful by making gluten-free cupcakes for birthdays but he couldn't eat them anyway. It was hard to get that point across to everyone.

Cara

Let's see if this link works better. Is this them?

Open Original Shared Link

I did the same thing for my kids (and still do) so they have a "plate". When they were little I used a bigger piece of foil they could unfold with the sandwich in it. Now I use plastic wrap but foil is easier for a little one. They need to have Spiderman and Dora on them. I'm going on vacation and wish I had seen these sooner (even without Dora on them).

[Jestgar]

In a previous thread I saw that some schools advocate hand sanitizer without hand washing. Sanitizer will not remove gluten, so it increases the chance of cc on toys and tables.

[Cara in Boston]

Yes, our school switched to the hand sanitizer INSTEAD of regular washing so I had to make sure the I had actual hand washing (with soap and running water) in his health plan. Felt silly spelling it out, but it needed to be clear.

Also - check to see if you can leave gluten-free cupcakes (Whole Foods sells frozen ones that are pretty and delicious) in the school freezer. Then, when someone has a birthday and brings in cupcakes, she can enjoy one too. They thaw out in less than an hour.

Cara

[StephanieL]

Many schools are moving to a "no food treat" for birthdays so maybe check on that policy first