After school snacks

[domestic goddess]

I'm needing some inspiration for after school snacks. My granddaughters play outside nearly every day (weather permitting), and it is costing my dd a mint in snack food money. I can alleviate that by having home made snacks ready to serve, but I wonder how other people do this. I was thinking of serving fruits and veggies on Mon & Wed, sandwiches on Tues and Thurs, cookies, brownies or cake on Fri. Leftovers on Sat & Sun. Juice, water or hot chocolate (as it gets colder) to drink. Yes, I guess this is more elaborate than it needs to be, but it is a start, and I am more comfortable with paring down than ramping up.
Naturally, most of the neighborhood kids gravitate here to play, because they can. When the girls were younger, we rarely saw a child out here, but since they have been in school and know the kids around here, they often go to other kids' homes and ask if they can come out and play. And now the other kids come here and ask if dgds can come out and play, too.
Sandwiches would be small, so as not to ruin dinner for any of the kids. In fact, all snacks would be small for that reason, but kids do seem to need an after school snack, as some of them don't eat dinner until late.
So, anyway, what do you do about feeding the marauding masses, and how do you do it? Thanks to all, in advance.

[Rosemary]

My daughter's after-school snack is often a mini-meal because she is very hungry after school and we don't eat dinner for another 3 hours. Having a substantial snack then makes her less likely to overeat at dinner. So it's often something soup or dinner leftovers, or anything from the breakfast/lunch/snack list that's posted here: http://rosemaryevergreen.blogspot.com/2011/09/updated-menu.html

[Float On]

Popcorn is pretty filling. I'd add that to your list.
My teenage boys seem to be eatting about 3 meals a night. One as soon as they get home, two with the rest of us usually early 5:30 or 6, and a third around 8p.m. or so.
Since we have chickens and plenty of eggs they'll fix breakfast burritos a lot. Very filling and easy. I keep the smaller soft taco shells, already shredded cheese, and sausage crumbles ready to go. We also make up a freezer full of personal size pizzas. They get bored with sandwiches pretty easily. They also do a meat, cheese, and fruit tray.

[Anne Lee]

Bread and butter, sliced veggies with dressing, cheese cubes.

[domestic goddess]

Rosemary, please tell me more about your roasted beets with cream cheese.
I totally forgot about popcorn! Can't believe that, but I did!! Need to make some good homemade toppers for that. Thanks for the reminder, float on!
Anne, the girls don't seem to really care about dressing or dip for veggies or fruits (they don't even eat the caramel that comes with the apple dippers!), but plain fruits and veggies are often the treat around here, and they are always a hit. Cheese cubes are another thing I hadn't thought of, so that goes on the list, too. See, this is why I ask you guy, you have good ideas that include things we often use or have, but in a different way, and my old brain sometimes needs to be shaken up a bit.
I like that this is staying in the less expensive range, as sometimes there is a crowd in the yard, and I'm not ready yet to provide enough to feed a small army.

[Stella]

Granola is a favourite around here. Which reminds me it is time to make some.

[IshbelRobertson]

Flapjack?

Diced apple, with a cornflake topping, softened with honey and put in the oven for 10 or 15 mins?

Small Scotch eggs? (Using quail eggs)

[domestic goddess]

I have to say that I've never seen a quail egg in a store here. Would a small chicken egg work?

[Tiam]

Don't forget popcorn. Easy. Cheap. I used to buy day old bread and make huge batches of garlic bread. A favorite and only about a dollar to make. And rice krispy treats made with peanut butter, using generic rice krispies, and generic marshmallows. Muffins are cheap. Generic crackers and peanut butter. Cinnamon toast. Cinnamon biscuits. Yes it's all kind of starchy, but it's a snack. Generic graham crackers and butter or cream cheese. bread wrapped around peanut butter and bananas. Think bread outlet store to get cheap snack stuff. Homemade bread sticks, homemade pita chips are easy to bake up, as are flour tortilla chips. Apples and peanut butter?

[Wildflower]

Homemade peanut butter cookies were my daughters' favorite afterschool snack when they were little ones.

[IshbelRobertson]

I have to say that I've never seen a quail egg in a store here. Would a small chicken egg work?

They are readily available here in all the major supermarket chains! I use them when making canapes - and think they are the ideal size for kids,. who seem to really like 'dinky' portions of things! But, no reason why small chicken eggs couldn't be used!

[Anne Lee]

I think kids really do need a snack after school but I'm not a huge fan of snacking. I'm probably too old school, but I think snacks should be used to satiate hunger and not as treats otherwise you set up poor eating habits. It's the old saying, if you aren't hungry enough to eat an apple, then you really aren't hungry. That's not to say you should NEVER make something a little fun or special but as a rule for at least four days a week, keep it simple and nourishing.

[Bastelmutti]

I pretty much stick to fruit, veggies and ranch, veggies and hummus, popcorn or cheese cubes most of the time. When I have my friend's kids, it has to be gluten-free. I do occasionally splurge on cereal bars or some other commercial GF treat.

[Rosemary]

domestic goddess, you asked about the roasted beets + cream cheese. You can roast the beets either whole (in which cases you slice them when you're ready to use them) or sliced. You can fancy this up with fresh herbs, or goat cheese instead of cream cheese, or with different veggies (roasted, also - e.g. eggplant, summer squash, etc). But basically, just cold roasted beets with a thin layer of cream cheese, and on top either another roasted beet or a few snippets of dried apricot or a walnut half.