 Kids
- You Can Play With Your Food!
This kid nutrition activity combines learning about nutrition
and physical fitness. Kids learn about the five food groups,
plan a sample menu, and play a food group relay game.
By Nancy Johnson
This kid nutrition activity combines learning about nutrition
and physical fitness. Children who are well nourished and
physically fit learn more in school. Using the five food groups,
kids will learn how much of each food group they need each
day, how to recognize what foods belongs to each group, and
plan a sample menu.
With the technical age of computers, video games and television,
there is concern that children are not getting enough physical
fitness in their day. Encourage children to participate in
movement games, sports, dance and exercise at least one hour
each day.
First, review the five food groups with kids. Discuss their
favorite food and what group this food belongs in. For example,
if a child’s favorite food is pizza, ask them what food
groups pizza belongs to.
 Five
Food Groups
The five food groups and servings for kids ages 2-11 are:
Milk: 2-3 cups
Fruits: 1-2 cups
Vegetables: 1-2 ½ cups
Grains: 3-6 ounces
Meats & Beans: 2-5 ½ ounces
The serving size varies according to the age of the child.
One slice of bread is one serving. Three ounces of meat is
approximately the size of a “deck of cards”.
Next, have them plan a sample menu for one meal. Younger
children can cut out pictures from a magazine and glue into
sections on a paper plate. Older children can write out a
sample menu on paper. For example, have kids plan a nutritious
lunch they might want to take to school.
Finally, play a food group relay game. Make five signs, each
labeled with a food group in large letters. Glue on several
pictures of food from each group. Using 3” x 5”
index card, put one food item on one card. Make lots of cards.
For younger children, paste a picture of a food on each card.
To play the game, divide the kids into teams (no more than
four teams is recommended). You need five volunteers to hold
the food group signs. Have them stand a distance away from
the teams, facing the teams and holding the signs up. Place
a basket or bucket at their feet. Another volunteer will have
a bag of food (index cards), and the first child in line will
draw a food card.
When you say “go” or blow a whistle, the first
child of each team runs to the correct food group, shows the
sign holder to verify they are correct, and places their food
card into the basket. They will run back to their team and
go to the end of the line. The next player in line will draw
a card and continue the relay. In this relay game everyone
is a winner!
About the Author
As a mother, grandmother, and child development professional,
Nancy Johnson, shares over 20 years experience working with
children and planning activities on her website, Creative-Child-Activity-Notebook.com.
Check it out for more school age child activity ideas including
summer, holiday, learning, nature, and child party activity
ideas.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Johnson
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