Snack Time is a time for all of the members of the team to come together and have a snack. This takes place at the beginning of the design session, typically as the first part of the session.
- Often, design sessions are held after school. Many children are hungry at this time – and so are adults! A simple snack lets everyone refuel and get energized for the design work to come.
- Adults and children should sit down and eat snack, as with other parts of co-design, together and at the same level. This is yet another way to break down the power barriers that may exist between adults and children. During this time, the team is not yet discussing the design work to come. They can chat about anything outside of design work – how their days were, what they did over the weekend, and so on. This informal time allows for relationships to continue to grow, which leads to better partnerships in designing later.
- Depending on your team, have guidelines for snacks. Be aware of any allergies in the group and avoid altogether any snack with those allergens. Some teams have a time when the snack ends and all food must be put away. Others allow snacks to be brought to the initial large group meeting, or even into small group work. Some teams offer second helpings. How you manage all of this will depend on what works best for your team.
