Games and Activities to Teach Kids About Nutrition #NationalNutritionMonth

by Kids Discover

Have students try these activities to expand their knowledge and interest in Nutrition.

Activities to Teach About Nutrition | Kids Discover

Home Economics

Have students plan and prepare a simple nutritious lunch. Students should make a menu, listing ingredients. Be sure to have adult supervision as students prepare the foods. Then have everyone sit down to enjoy the meal together.

Music

“Food, Glorious Food” from Oliver is a song that sings the praises of food. Help students find other songs that feature food. They can compile a list and then choose songs to perform in a food concert. Songs might include “Yes, We have No Bananas,” “Found a Peanut,” “Coconut,” and “Goober Peas.”

Language Arts

Idioms are expressions that have different meanings than the words that make up the expressions. Invite students to identify idioms that refer to foods and to explain what they mean. You might suggest the following: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen; in a stew; fine kettle of fish; eat your cake and have it too; easy as pie; the bread and butter; and meat and potatoes.

Science

Encourage students to do research on vitamins and minerals. Ask them to choose a vitamin or mineral, explain how it helps the body, and identify food sources of the vitamin or mineral. Students can work together to make a bulletin board that compiles the information into their own infographic.

Science

Have students collect the nutrition labels from boxes of cereal. They can compare and contrast the nutritional values of the cereals. They can use different criteria for ranking the cereals, such as the contribution to daily values, the amount of total fats and saturated fats with and without milk; and the size of a serving.

Math/Science

Have students develop a week’s worth of menus for a daily diet of 1,800 to 2,000 calories. Encourage the students to make sure the diet is balanced to provide nutritional needs. Students can consult A Balanced Diet and other reliable nutrition sites to identify foods and their nutritional and caloric content.

Art/Language Arts

Have students produce a food flyer. Their flyer might include nutritional information, cooking tips, favorite foods, menus, food presentation, and table settings. You might provide magazines that focus on cuisine, food preparation, and nutrition as models.

Science/Physical Education

Invite a nutritionist, personal trainer, gym teacher, and nurse to conduct a health seminar for your class. Ask participants to discuss nutrition and exercise and their importance to healthy living.

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