What snacks to serve? << What a Wonderful Weekend it was! >>

Alex,

Years ago I was happy and somewhat thrilled to share my layouts with the children. You must be careful that anything you serve contains no peanuts or soy products and gluten free. We always serve fruit punch, natural sweetened. Towards the end we served the small bottles of water(6 oz.). Hope this helps. 

Experience has shown it depends upon if they will be viewing/touching anything after the treats (and this applies to old guys as well), nothing greasy like pizza.

Will they be walking with beverages may be a concern.

Fruit snacks, chips, brownies, pudding, etc., have worked.

If the treats will be after the viewing anything goes.

One thing may be no coats in the room due to snagging items accidentally.

Do have a friend whose child does have peanut issues, that may be something to consider.

No doubt the enjoyment you will give and receive from this will make any troubles you encounter pale in comparison. Keep us posted.

Who knows, you may even get follow up requests from kids to bring their parents for a visit!

I might pass on snacks and refreshments. Sadly, it opens up liability in this litigious world of today.

I think bottled water may be the best to provide, when requested only.

It's not family and friends, so your natural hospitality will grind at you. I don't think the visitors would be offended.

If you can't resist, contact the group supervisor and pose the same question and get their guidance. 

It's very nice of you to provide some entertainment and promote the hobby.

Excellent points. We did one where they brought the treats along on the bus.

One suggestion:  Not Cheetos.

Best advice for serving kids- DON'T.

Organic dihydrogen monoxide (sodium and sugar free) is usually safe with most kids with parental consent. There are some activists recently working diligently to get it banned. Some regard it as an inhalation hazard. 

I agree with Michael. Safest bet is nothing...

Gilly

All I could think of was the post a few months back about the guy that had a visitor drop a piece of chocolate cake on the track and the head engine ran thru it along with a few cars.

I agree the people that replied to your question.

Although have something to snack on or drink is being a gracious host sometimes it may not be the best thing.

Maybe you can serve some snacks and drinks away from the layout and as they are heading for the door.

Should be a good time with the Kids.

You also may want to check your home owner's liability insurance.  There can be issues that an event like this generates that are beyond home owner's insurance.  Wonderful experience for most, but there is always the: what ifs?? IMO

Mike CT

Does the school carry coverage for it's outings?

That was a very nice article.   I think what you are doing as far as the tours of your layout is a great thing. Best of luck with the tours.

Alex, just read the article.  I think they did a good job describing it.

These people are not friends over for a social evening, there is no need to serve refreshments to anybody. I certainly would not expect it.

LOL!!!

GREAT COVERAGE IN THE ARTICLE AND PROOF OF "IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME"

DONT SERVE SNACKS TO THE SCHOOL KIDS

BYOS

(Bring Your Own Snacks)

I took the advice that several of you offered and called the school principal, who had contacted me in the first place. He did not think it would be a problem to offer simple snacks.

I believe we will have two or three different kinds of 'store purchased' cookies (Oreo, etc.), small cans of drinks, and water. Judy is disappointed, but understands that it is best not to offer her home made goodies. We will offer the snacks once we are back upstairs after they have looked at the layout.

And yes, I think Jim McCarty did a great job with the article - he covered a lot of information in not too many words.

Alex

In today's world it's a jungle out there from when most of us grew up. As for even having groups over, a call to your agent, as noted earlier, is never a bad idea. As for snacks, Only pre-wrapped snacks and drinks (the pouch kind) this way nothing from your house contaminated anything in case little princess gets sick.

Good luck! Have fun! Cover thy a**!

chck with the teachers of the classes attending and make sure none

of the kids have peanut allerges. That seems to be a big deal now in

schools and you don't want a reaction and have to ship some kid off

to the emergency room.

Remember,,,,,,NO PEANUTS!!!!!!! Too many kids have "peanut allergies". Also, I have found it best to have no "snacks" around the layout, just beer.  Anything to be eaten is served OUT of the room where the layout is. In our case that would be downstairs, as the layout is upstairs.

Who caught me???

Nice image Joe!!

You have to wonder what the responses to a question like this would have been even 5 years ago.  

The peanut thing is good advice.

Still has anyone noticed that if you look on a dessert menu at pretty much any restaurant, you'd highly unlikely to find any brownie deserts that don't have nuts in them?

My wife has minor peanut (along with a bunch of other stuff) allergies and we've seen desert menues that have NO non-nut-content items at all.

You'd thing in this day of nut allergy scares, you wouldn't be seieng more nuts in restaurant desserts...

As for kids, I knew a guy with a traction layout he used to do school tours of. And had had a handrail on the entire public side of the layout. Kids had to be holding the rail at all times, and he said the touching (and breaking) of stuff along the layout edge dropped to nothing the day he started requiring kids hold onto the rail.

Alex.....fantastic article!

Peter

quote:

Still has anyone noticed that if you look on a dessert menu at pretty much any restaurant, you'd highly unlikely to find any brownie deserts that don't have nuts in them?

My wife has minor peanut (along with a bunch of other stuff) allergies and we've seen desert menues that have NO non-nut-content items at all.

You'd thing in this day of nut allergy scares, you wouldn't be seieng more nuts in restaurant desserts...

You probably already know that peanuts aren't nuts. (Certainly your wife could be allergic to both peanuts and true nuts)

I can eat peanuts, but I am allergic to true nuts.

I guess lots of foods are made with nuts because people (who can eat them) love them.

I developed my allergy as an adult, I wish I still could.

It is very rare that I will eat a homemade dessert or baked goods.

And I read labels. I'd bet your wife does too.

Love brownies without nuts. Don't usually get dessert, but if there is Lemon Crème Cheesecake it is always possible if funding allows. Great layout and article Alex!

Alex,

Don't you dare hand out any of Judy's pies. This will break my heart if she gives pies to other folks.

Seriously, I had a friend that lives in Shelbina, MO call me about your article in Rural Missouri. He is sending me a copy of it also.

Anyone that is interested in seeing one GREAT layout needs to see yours. Hope you and Judy have a great time with all of your visitors.

see if you can get Vinny to make a road trip with his stuffed shells

Hot Water your scaring me. He is talking about having kids over, wouldn't water be a better option.

Is your insurance coverage up to date and does it cover large groups of people descending upon your property? 

Great article!  I'm late to the suggestions, but I would vote for home-made chocolate chip cookies and small bottles of milk.  If they don't want milk, let them drink water.  Not too messy, nutritious, and avoids most allergies.  Serve after them have seen the layout if possible.

Have fun and please give us a report afterwards.

Art

Can't go wrong with pizza and beer.  

If that question was a genuine concern for the property owner then make the visitors sign a waiver. 

Alex,

   With all the reconstruction going on at your place, let the better half deal with the domestic social home front, you must have way to much time on your hands, when you start worry about feeding the visitors properly. 

I need to send you a dress!

Only kidding buddy!  My wife would have it catered more than likely.

PCRR/Dave

Since I have kids that do nothing but eat snacks if they could get away with it.. Something like this should work. Also I cant get the link to open.

Can't do that for minors.

Insurance coverage for someone with large groups coming with some frequency is nothing to be laughed off. Anyone who has groups coming or has op sessions really needs to discuss this with their agent for liability limits.

Yeah, it's funny now or you think it's no big deal, but when you have a claim, it won't be funny at all then. Many liability laws have no bearing on if you're actually at fault for something when it comes to where the medical coverage comes from if there's an accident, even when its proven you had nothing to do with it.

Insurance is one of those things that people:

• All think they understand
• Don't understand
• Are incorrect with almost everything they 'know' about insurance

Don't ask someone else unless they work for your insurance company. Anyone you ask otherwise will just be equally clueless.

When hosting here, we like to do this.

If you feel you still want to maybe contact the school but not to sound rude or what have you it sounds liked you really were trying to avoid this so the serving of refreshments really shouldn't be on you and actually a gift should be offered to you and your wife for your hospitality as they hunted you out. Yes I know its a thrill for most model railroaders to share there pride and joy layout it should be you offering it not people contacting you asking unless your a place that does it for special groups and all. Just my 2 cents I'm glad you and your wife are so grateful to allow and want to serve refreshments but to me it shouldn't be your responsibility now if it was a monthly club meeting where you went to different members places each month yes