Food Group Twister

To Know and Learn

Children will practice categorizing foods from the food groups by playing the Food Group Twister game. This game will also help children develop motor skills.

Materials Needed

large open space
large sheets of blue, green, red, yellow and brown
paper
crayons or felt tip markers
glue or tape
scissors
heavy paper, cardboard or old playing cards
food picture (optional, food pictures from other lessons can be used)

Directions

A. To Make the Cards

Draw or cut out food pictures

Glue or tape the food pictures onto construction paper of the colors indicated below:

Blue card--milk and dairy products
Brown card--grain, cereal and pasta foods
Red card--meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dried peas and beans
Green card--fruit and vegetables
Yellow card--"sometimes" or extra foods

B. To Use the Cards

Review the food groups with the children. Identify the groups and name several foods from each food group.

Place colored sheets of paper corresponding to the food groups on the floor in five separate areas.

Pick a card and have the children move to the colored paper that represents the food group for the food picked.

After the children have moved to the correct colored paper, ask them to name other foods from that food group before picking another card from the deck.

Food Group Twister can also be played by taping or gluing several circles of colored construction paper to an old bed sheet or large piece of paper. Inside each circle, glue several pictures of the food group it represents. When a card is selected, ask the children to place either their left foot, right foot, left hand or right hand on the colored circle that represents that food's group. This version of the game can be played by only a few children at once. If a child falls or cannot find an unoccupied circle, he or she can take a time out and another child can play.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name the body building food groups and give examples of foods found in each group.
 
 

Counting On The Basics

To Know and Learn

Children will sort foods into the food groups and practice counting skills by completing the puzzles.

Materials Needed

puzzle pieces on pages 7-50--7-53
heavy paper, cardboard or old playing cards
glue or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors
clear contact paper (optional)

Directions

A. To Make the Cards

Color and cut out the puzzle pieces on pages 7-50--7-53.

Glue or tape the puzzle pieces to heavy paper, cardboard or old playing cards. Trim any excess paper. Separate the puzzle pieces by cutting along the dotted lines.

Cover with clear contact paper for longer durability.

B. To Use the Cards

Review the food groups with the children. Have them name the groups and a few foods from each food group.

Children can practice identifying foods from each of the food groups by:

Food For Thought

Ask the children to pick one food puzzle piece from each of the food groups.
 
 

Fill It Up

To Know and Learn

Children will learn about the sources of water and that they need water to be healthy. Children will also practice observation skills by watching colored water move up celery veins.

Materials Needed

Fill It Up With Water Please poem see below
two glasses
red food coloring
water
two celery stalks (one that is wilted because it has not been refrigerated for several days)

Directions

Talk about our need for water with the children. Tell them that we need water everyday. Discuss the fact that we often forget how important it is to drink water. Describe the sources of water, including tap water, foods and beverages that we drink.

Trim one inch off the ends of each celery stalk.

Show the children the firm celery stalk and the wilted, droopy celery stalk.

Describe the need for water using the celery as an example. The celery that has water is strong and firm, but the celery that has lost too much water is softer and droopy.

Let them feel firm and wilted celery stalk.

To show the children that we need water, set up a display of an empty glass and one glass filled with water. Ask the children to watch carefully.

Place the firm celery stalk into the empty glass. Ask the children if the celery is able to "drink" the water. Put the wilted celery stalk into the empty glass and ask the same question. Ask them if the celery makes noise when it drinks. Be sure to tell the children that the celery stalk looks wilted because it did not have any water to drink for a few days.

Put a few drops of red food coloring in the glass filled with water.

Place the celery stalks into the colored water and watch the colored water move up the celery stalks. Tell the children that this means the celery is drinking the water. After the wilted celery has soaked up some of the water and is no longer limp, ask the children to describe how the wilted celery stalk feels after it was given water to drink.

Read Fill It Up With Water Please, see below, to the children. Have them repeat each line until they know it well.

Ask the children how they might feel if they drank too little water (tired. weak and/or sick). Sing the Body Building Train song (page 7-5), especially verse six.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name some sources of water
.

FILL IT UP WITH WATER PLEASE



Good Eating

To Know and Learn

Children will practice sorting foods into the body building food groups by performing The Good Eating Bop.

Materials Needed

The Good Eating Bop on page 7-28
paper
crayons or felt tip markers
tape or safety pins

Directions

Review the body building food groups with the children using the train cars from the Body Building Train lessons.

Ask them to name several foods from each food group.

Have the children draw five food pictures (one from each of the food groups) and cut them out. (Food cards from other lessons or magazines, newspapers, seed catalogs and grocery store advertisements can be used.)

Show the children how to perform The Good Eating Bop on page 7-28. Have the children repeat each line until they know it well.

Have the children form a circle and perform the dance.

To prepare the children for the dance, tape or safety pin the food pictures on each child as follows:

right arm--fruit and vegetable picture left arm--milk and dairy foods picture
right leg--meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dried peas and beans picture
left leg--grains, bread and cereal picture trunk--extra food picture

When singing the song, have each child place the appropriate body part into or out of the circle and move as directed.

Repeat the dance until children know it well.

After the dance has ended, ask the children to name the food groups and place each picture in the correct train car.

If placing all of the pictures on each child is too difficult, divide the children into five (5) groups and have each group represent one of the food groups. Continue as directions indicate using the whole body rather than body parts.

Food For Thought

Ask the children to name examples of foods from each of the body building food groups.




THE GOOD EATING BOP
(can be sung to the tune of The Hokey Pokey)
Verse 1
I put my fruit in,
(put right arm in circle)
I put my fruit out,
(put right hand out of circle)
I put my fruit in and I shake it all about.
(put right arm in circle and shake it)
I do the Good Eating Bop and turn myself around,
(turn entire body around)
and that is what it is all about.
(clap)
Verse 2
I put my veggie in,
(put right hand in circle)
Verse 3
I put my meat in,
(put right leg in circle)
Verse 4
I put my milk in,
(put left arm in circle)
Verse 5
I put my bread in,
(put left leg in circle)
Verse 6
I put my extra in,
(put tummy in circle)
Verse 7
I put my foods in,
I put my foods out,
I put my foods in and I shake them all about.
I eat all of these foods and I cannot wait to say,
I know the Good Eating Bop!
 
 
Tossing For Good Health

To Know and Learn

Children will practice categorizing foods from the food groups and practice motor skills by playing the Food Toss game.

Materials Needed

six containers (for example, cardboard boxes or grocery bags)
food pictures (pictures from other lessons can be used)
construction paper
glue or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors
empty paper towel or toilet paper roll
aluminum foil
rubber bands
dry rice, corn and/or beans

Directions

A. To Make the Food Toss Containers

Cover or decorate five (5) cardboard boxes or grocery bags with construction paper. The five containers can be color coded to represent the food groups:

Blue--milk and dairy foods
Green--fruit and vegetaBle foods
Red--meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dried peas and beans
Brown--Bread and cereal foods
Yellow-- "sometimes" or extra foods

Containers can be decorated with food pictures or drawings of foods for each group. The inside of the boxes or bags could also be decorated, but the tops of the containers should be left open.

B. To Make the Food Toss Beacon (optional)

Use an empty paper towel or toilet paper roll.

Place dry rice, beans and/or corn in the paper towel or toilet paper roll and cover with aluminum foil. Put rubber bands over the ends to keep the aluminum foil in place.

Cover with paper and secure paper to the roll with glue or tape.

A bean bag could also be used.

C. To Use the Food Toss Containers

Review the food groups with the children. Have the children name several foods from each food group.

Place the five containers in a line. Put all of the food pictures in the sixth box. Have the children stand several feet from the boxes.

Ask the children to select one food picture from the container. Show the children the picture and ask them to name the food. Ask one child to pick up the paper towel roll and toss or place it in the Food Toss container representing the food group of the food picture selected.

Repeat until all the children have had a chance to play the game.

Real foods or their packages could be substituted for the food pictures.

Food For Thought

Ask children to sort food pictures by placing them in the appropriate food group container.
 
 

Basic Eating Mural

To Know and Learn

Children will identify foods from the body building food groups and practice fine motor skills by making and then discussing a Basic Eating Mural.

Materials Needed

food pictures (sources include magazines, news papers, seed catalogs and grocery store advertisements)
paper
bulletin board, blackboard or wall
glue or tape
crayons or felt tip markers
scissors

Directions

Review the body building food groups with the children.

Have the children name several foods from each group.

Ask the children to draw or cut out food pictures from one of the food groups.
Place the pictures on a larger sheet of paper using glue or tape. Label the paper to identify which food group the drawings or pictures represent.

Glue or tape this paper to a wall, bulletin board or blackboard.
After the mural has been completed, ask the children to answer the following:

What are the food groups?
What are some of the foods found in each food group?

Food For Thought

To determine whether children can identify foods from the food groups, have them name several foods from each group.
 
 

Food Plan Fun

To Know and Learn

Children will sing Where Are The Food Groups? to practice identifying body building foods that should be eaten every day.

Materials Needed

Where Are The Food Groups? song, see below
paper plate
crayons or felt tip markers

Directions

Discuss the body building food groups with the children.

Talk about why we need to select and eat body building foods from the food groups every day (to grow big and strong and to be healthy).

Read or sing Where Are The Food Groups? song, see below, to the children. Have them sing along
with you, one verse at a time, until they know it well.

Distribute the paper plates and have the children draw a picture of one food on the paper plate. Repeat the song and have the children name foods that they have drawn which are in the food group being discussed. Continue until all of the groups have been discussed.

Food For Thought

Have the children name foods in each of the body building food groups.




WHERE ARE THE FOOD GROUPS?
(can be sung to the tune of Where is Thumpkin?)
Where are veggies?
Where are veggies?
On my plate, on my plate.
They are so nutritious,
They are so delicious,
Eat them up, eat them up.
Other Verses:
1. Where are fruits?
2. Where are breads?
3. Where are meats?
4. Where are fish?
5. Where are beans?
6. Where is chicken?
7. Where is cheese?
8. Where are extras?
9. Where are cereals?
 



Foods On Parade

To Know and Learn

Children will practice identifying foods from the food groups by repeating the Foods On Parade March.

Materials Needed

Foods On Parade March, see below
paper
crayons or felt tip markers
small paper clips

Directions

Ask the children to repeat each line of the Foods On Parade March, see below, until they know it well. Have them name the body building food groups and identify foods from each food group.
Have the children select a food from one of the food groups. Ask them to make a paper bag food
puppet. This can be done by drawing a food picture on the front of a paper bag. (The fold of the bag can be used to form the puppet's mouth.)

Let each child hold up their puppet for the class to see. Have them name the food they chose for their puppet and name its food group. Ask the children to practice moving the mouths of their puppets while repeating the Foods On Parade March.

Perform the Foods On Parade March by having the children march around the room while holding their puppets.

The puppets could also be displayed on a bulletin board.

Food For Thought

Name a food and ask the children to identify its food group.
 
 

FOODS ON PARADE MARCH
(can be sung to the theme song for Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs)
March foods, march foods
Foods we need to grow.
March foods, march foods
To grow and grow and grow and grow.
We eat the foods, we need to grow,
Each and every day.
March foods, march foods
Foods we need to grow.
Fruit and vegetable foods
To grow and grow and grow and grow.
We eat the foods, we need to grow,
Each and every day.
March foods, march foods
Foods we need to grow.
Meat, beans and chicken foods
To grow and grow and grow and grow.
We eat the foods, we need to grow,
Each and every day.
March foods, march foods
Foods we need to grow;
Bread and cereal foods
To grow and grow and grow and grow.
We eat the foods, we need to grow,
Each and every day.
March foods, march foods
Foods we need to grow.
Milk and dairy foods
To grow and grow and grow and grow.
We eat the foods, we need to grow,
Each and every day.