The document discusses using food experiences to teach children important skills in areas like math, science, art, and social studies. It provides examples of activities that incorporate healthy foods, such as making edible art with vegetables, frozen fruit kabobs, and stuffed apples. The document also includes ideas for food-themed games and lists resources for nutrition lessons and activities.

1. By: Alissa Burge
Staff Workshop: Dietetic Intern
Benedictine University
Food Experience Discussion and
Activities
Food experiences are important to the children for a va-
riety of reasons beyond that of nutrition. Children de-
velop certain skills and learn about a different subjects
while working with nutritious foods. Here are certain
ways in which a child can learn.
Math
1. Measuring--tablespoon, teaspoon, cup 4. Letter recognition--isolating letters in a recipe
2. Counting 5. Word recognition--isolating words in a recipe
6. Adjective growth--increase of descriptive
3. Measurements--dozen, pound, weight terms
5. Sequencing--recipe directions 7. Formation of a cookbook
6. Classifying foods--food groups, colors, shape 8. Dictating stories about favorite foods, least
Science/Discovery favorite foods
1. Planting and how all things grow 9. Following directions
Creative Dramatics and Music
2. Solids to liquids, liquids to solids (making ice
cubes with whole fruit pieces inside or freezing 1. Role playing--parents' cooking role, children's
yogurt with fruit pieces inside for a snack) role, restaurant visit
3. Heat and cold 2. Dancing--get the feel of the ingredient and act
it out
4. Sense awareness--development of a sense of 3. Making up or learning songs about the ingre-
smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing dients
5. Nutrition awareness 4. Practicing rhythms--stirring and kneading
Art 5. Leaning new sounds
1. Making a food collage Social Studies
2. Drawing pictures of the food prepared 1. Learning about the different ways the same
3. Illustrating a recipe food is made in different areas
2. Learning about food from different cultures--
4. Molding food into sculptures--candy, cookies the discovery of new tastes, food patterns and
and bread dough other lands.
5. Observing color, texture and form 3. Learning how to work together, share and co-
Language Arts operate
1. Listening skills--following a recipe 4. Learning how to plan with one another
2. Sequential learning--repeating recipe steps in 5. Learning about community helpers who pro-
order vide food for us to buy and eat
3. Dictating a recipe to the teacher and watching
it being written down

2. Food experiences can be a variety of different things whether it be trying a new type of food, using
foods to make different edible creations, games, short stories about healthy foods, ect. Below are
some ideas to incorporate healthy foods for edible snacks. What are your ideas?
Edible Art: Use several kinds of vegetables that are commonly eaten raw and toothpicks. Make sure
they are pre-washed. The children put together creations from sliced cucumbers, carrots, broccoli
florets, cauliflower tops. Then they can eat their creations. (children are more likely to eat vegetables
they normally refuse)
Frozen Fruit: String chunks of fruit, like strawberries, orange chunks, grapes, pineapple onto a cocktail
straw and freeze them. At snack time put the straws in a glass of water for the children. The water is
sweetened by the fruit and the fruit is their snack. Kids love it and they seem to drink more water this
way and they can make their own patterns on the straws.
Science Experiment with Apples: Have the children experiment with two plates of sliced apples. On
one plate have them pour lemon juice on top and on the other use no lemon juice. Leave it to sit for
30 minutes and go back to see the results of their experiment. Relate this to brushing their teeth, if
they don’t brush their teeth after meals they can change color over time like the apples do.
Apple Smiles: Cut a red apple into slices. (these are the lips) Have child
spread peanut butter or cream cheese on apple slice. Place mini
marshmallows (these are the teeth) on top of peanut butter and top with
other apple slice.
Stuffed Apple: Have adult core apple. Children can stuff middle with peanut butter, raisins, dried
cranberries, bananas, and other fruits. Then eat.
Fruit Kabob Creatures: You will need: watermelon or melon balls, sliced
bananas, grapes, or any fruit of choice. Start with a blank canvas (flat plate)
and have a child create a worm or caterpillar by lining fruit in a row. Then
put the fruit together by poking a short straw or a straw cut in half through
your fruit. You can also the attach the fruit together with peanut butter or
cream cheese or just line them up in a row on the plate.
Bagel People: Spread cream cheese on a half of a bagel and let child create a face with fruit pieces or
cut up vegetables. You can use coconut, peanuts, or chow mein noodles also. Let their imagination
soar.
Let's go Fishing Snack: Use a pretzel rod or long sticks for a fishing rod. Place peanut butter on the
end for bait and dip your fishing rod in a pond of fish. (fish crackers in a bowl)
River Fish: Celery stalks cut twice or three times, cream cheese, blue food coloring, fish crackers
In a bowl add one or two drops of blue food coloring to the cream cheese. Fill celery sticks with cream
cheese. Add fish crackers to the top of the sticks to resemble fish swimming in the river.

3. Game Ideas
Food Group Game - Name a Food Circle Game
This is a great game to play with the entire class. The children might not be able to add many foods at first,
but by listening to what the older members of the class add (including teachers), they are learning about
how foods go together.
Step 1: Announce a food group. Choose a formal food group - fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, dairy - or
choose another grouping that might be more familiar to the children - drinks, breakfast cereals,
sandwiches, foods made from milk.
Step 2: One person in the group starts by naming a food that fits into the category. Then each person takes
a turn naming another food in that group until someone can't answer.
Helpful Hint: By playing this game at snack or meal times, the children can have visual hints of foods that
fit. For example, point to various fruits in the fruit bowl when it's their turn and they don't know how to
answer.
Food Group Game - Guess My Food Game
This game can be played anywhere. Play it with the children as they wait in line, have a snack, or during
lunch.
Step 1: Choose a food group, then ask the child to guess what food you are thinking of - "Guess my fruit!"
Just like the circle game, you can choose easy categories like breakfast cereals or harder ones, depending
on your preschooler's knowledge.
Step 2: Let the children guess away to see if she can guess what food you are thinking of.
Helpful Hint: If the children are familiar with letter sounds, after 10 wrong guesses give a hint about what
letter your food starts with. Or, you can name traits about the food after a few wrong guesses. Give away
the color of the food, then the shape of the food, then the place in the kitchen where you keep the food,
etc., until the children can guess the food.
Resources to Use
-http://www.first-school.ws/theme/nutrition.htm : nutrition lessons and printable activities
-http://www.fruitrhymes.com/ : fruit stories, rhymes, recipes, and coloring pages
-http://www.vegetables-for-kids.com/ : vegetable stories and healthy recipes
-http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/index.html : healthy eating habits, physical activity, and
safety
-http://school.fueluptoplay60.com/tools/nutrition-education/view.php?id=23945657