Coeliac disease at nursery: a relaxed guide for parents

Your child with coeliac disease is starting nursery, and you’re wondering how things will work with food, crafts, and birthdays. The short answer is, with clear communication and a few simple routines, it can all go surprisingly smoothly. Here’s what matters most.

Why nursery needs special attention

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition. Even the tiniest amounts of gluten can damage the gut, even with no visible symptoms. Little children constantly touch their mouths while eating and playing, share toys and snacks, and flour is used more often in daily nursery life than you might think. This isn’t a reason to worry, but it is a reason to get a few things clearly sorted out. Once that’s done, it will make all the difference for their whole time at nursery.

The conversation with the nursery: getting it right from the start

• Who decides what’s okay to eat? The ingredients list is what counts. Anything that doesn’t contain wheat, barley, rye, or malt is fine. Oats are only okay if they are explicitly labelled as gluten-free. Fruit, yoghurt, cheese, or rice are naturally gluten-free and don’t need any special label. A ‘gluten-free’ symbol is a handy shortcut on processed products, but it’s not essential. Still, agree that any new foods should be checked with you first. When in doubt, the rule is to ask, not guess.
• Crumb discipline. A separate chopping board, individual portions of spreads, no shared toaster, and cleaning hands and tables after eating as usual. This is completely enough for everyday life.
• A backup supply. Keep a labelled box of gluten-free treats at the nursery for spontaneous occasions. This means your child can join in with birthdays instead of just watching.

Two nursery classics: play dough and snacks

Play dough is usually made with wheat flour, and little children often touch their mouths while playing with it. The easiest solution is to have gluten-free play dough for the whole group; the recipe only takes ten minutes (see below). When it comes to food and snacks, the ingredients list is what matters. Anything that doesn’t contain wheat, barley, rye, or malt is fine. Fruit, yoghurt, and cheese are naturally gluten-free, with no label needed.

The legal side of things

There’s no single national law for allergies in nurseries. Providing gluten-free food is organised through the nursery, its provider, and the caterer (if they have one), usually after you provide a doctor’s note. It’s important that the note doesn’t just stay in the office but also gets to the kitchen staff. In the UK, Coeliac UK has free information packs for nurseries and schools (checked 28 September 2026).

Further reading

When it’s time to think about school, our complete guide to school will help you get organised, and for school dinners and special arrangements, check out our guide to Special Arrangements & School Meals. And for right now, here are some practical things: our recipe for gluten-free play dough, ideas for a gluten-free packed lunch and the free info sheet for carers.

Technical guidance: Codex Alimentarius limit (20 mg/kg), AOECS Standards, German Coeliac Society (DZG). For any medical questions, always consult your paediatrician or GP.