# 13 Tips for Mealtime Supports in Early Childhood Programs

June 2, 2026

Mealtime and snacktime can provide opportunities to help children build a variety of skills and strengthen adult–child and peer relationships. Through frequent repetition and growth, children can acquire complex adaptive, social-communication, and fine motor skills during mealtime routines. Some young children may need extra help with aspects of mealtime and snacktime. Support strategies can include a variety of adaptations or modifications to daily routines, activities, and environments to meet targeted outcomes at home and in classrooms. Use these tips from [**Volume 4 of the AEPS®-3 Curriculum—Growing**](https://products.brookespublishing.com/AEPS-3-CurriculumGrowing-Volume-4-P1299.aspx) to support children during meals.

- Pay attention to **children’s cues** for when they are getting hungry, and make sure mealtime occurs before they get too sleepy to participate.
- Give children **plenty of alerts about transitions** to mealtime, especially if they are engaged in an activity that is difficult for them to leave.
- Assign **table buddies** by pairing children who have slightly more advanced mealtime skills and more varied food preferences with children who are more cautious and have less advanced skills.
- **Thin or thicken new foods** to encourage young children who are sensitive to new textures to try them.
- Remove children who become distressed at the table for a minute or two to **let them calm down,** and reseat them afterward if they want to come back to the table.
- Position children for **comfort and stability** during mealtimes. Seat a young child who is learning independent eating skills in a child-size chair or highchair if possible. Provide seating with foot and arm support and a comfortable seat with a back, so the child can focus on eating rather than maintaining their sitting posture. (For children who have more **intensive positioning and mobility needs**, ensure seating that offers a secure base as well as arm and wrist fixation, such as an adaptive chair with seat belt, tray, or cushions that can be repositioned to meet the child’s needs.)
- For children who struggle with participating in family or classroom mealtimes, **encourage practice with the social routines** and expectations of mealtime by providing a pretend food or kitchen set to play with.
- Teach the child to use **culturally accepted table manners and language** they may need to be successful at the table.
- Address concerns about extreme eating habits and resistance to change by having a specialist do an **oral-motor examination** to rule out physical causes for eating issues.
- Teach children who cannot speak to **use simple signs** (more, all done) so they can communicate their preferences.
- Learn to recognize children’s cues and preferences. **Pair sign language with spoken words** for children who are nonverbal or who have hearing impairments.
- For children who are **picky eaters,** start with foods the child likes or tolerates, and introduce new foods gradually. A picky eater may have a sensitive gag reflex, sensitive taste buds, or increased sensitivity to smells. **Keep a food journal** to see if any patterns emerge, and keep close track of food consistencies, tastes, and textures the child will eat. Offer small amounts of new foods many times.
- For children who need **intensive physical support** during mealtime, provide hand-over-hand graduated guidance (physical prompts) for skills that children find difficult (bringing one hand to the mouth to eat, scooping food from a bowl, drinking from a cup). As the child begins to perform the specific skill or step with full support, **fade help gradually** from hands, to wrists, to elbows.

### Meaningful Mealtimes

If mealtimes are especially challenging in your program, you may want to check out the book [**Meaningful Mealtimes**](https://products.brookespublishing.com/Meaningful-Mealtimes-P1572.aspx)**,** a unique user-friendly planning guide for early childhood educators and care providers. You’ll find lots of how-to guidance, helpful examples, and practical tools for making mealtimes a rich, engaging, and inclusive experience for all young children.

[See the book here](https://products.brookespublishing.com/Meaningful-Mealtimes-P1572.aspx)

Is your program doing the most for the children and families you serve? With its seamlessly linked assessment and curriculum for birth–6, AEPS®-3 empowers your program to **ensure that children with disabilities make more progress.** Goal setting, IFSP/IEP development, teaching and intervention, progress monitoring, family communication—it’s all integrated in AEPS-3, powered by the **AEPSi web-based management system!**

[See A Demo](https://aepsinteractive.com/)