When it comes to teaching health at home the first topic most of us turn to is learning about food groups. To learn to balance our diets we need to learn what foods go where and why we need them.
This month with Mother Goose Time we are enjoying the Food and Fitness theme. Last week we took the time to enjoy a food groups unit study. The kids really loved getting hands on and learning why the food groups are so important. Here are a few food groups activities for kids. Don’t miss the free printable food sort game in this post.
Build a meal with the food groups
Involving the children in meal planning and prep makes them feel good and lets them learn this vital life skill. A great way to cement learning about the food groups is to have your child help you plan balanced meals. Take them with you to the store and shop foods from each group.
If doing this unit for several days spend each day on one group. As you learn about each group enjoy a daily snack exploring the food group of the day.
Tips for teaching kids about the food groups
Teaching kids about food groups is important for their overall health and nutrition. Here are some ideas for teaching kids about food groups:
Make a Food Group Chart
Create a chart that lists the different food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Show pictures of different foods in each food group and have the kids place each food in the correct category.
Play a Food Group Game
Create a game that teaches kids about the different food groups. For example, you can play a food group bingo game, where kids match pictures of food to the correct food group. You can also play a memory game, where kids match pictures of food to the correct food group.
Go on a Food Group Scavenger Hunt
Take the kids on a scavenger hunt to find different foods from each food group. For example, you can search for different types of fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Have the kids take pictures of the foods they find and discuss why each food is part of a specific food group.
Cook Together
Cooking with kids is a great way to teach them about the different food groups. Have the kids help prepare a meal that includes foods from each food group. Discuss why each food is important and what role it plays in a healthy diet.
Visit a Farmer’s Market
Visiting a farmer’s market is a great way to teach kids about the different food groups. Show the kids the different fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy that are available and discuss why each food is important. You can also talk about where the food comes from and how it’s grown.
Grow your own food
Taking the time to teach your child about how fruits and vegetables grow is a great way to help them learn what fruits and vegetables are. Kids that grow their own food are more likely to try new things and eat more vegetables. Gardening with your kids has so many great benefits.
Teaching kids about food groups is important for their overall health and nutrition. By making a food group chart, playing food group games, going on a food group scavenger hunt, cooking together, and visiting a farmer’s market, you can make learning about food groups fun and engaging for kids. These simple activities can help kids develop a healthy relationship with food and understand the importance of a balanced diet.
Read about food groups
Click each book about food groups for kids for more information. These books make a great addition to your food groups unit study.
Get hands-on with this free printable food groups game
This printable gives you a big advantage by allowing you to customize it to your family’s diet. This printable has sorting baskets and food cards for the 5 food groups, dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
After you learn about each food group you can pull out the treats and sweets food cards and the good for you and not good for you baskets. Have your child sort the foods that are healthy and unhealthy.
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