NUTRITION ACTIVITIESGO, SLOW, NO RelayObjectives: Students will learn about MyPlate, healthy foods and a balanced diet. Students will be able to label foods in the correct food groups. Students will understand the difference between the “Go, Slow, and No” foods that impact their health. Students will use teamwork to accomplish the tasks. Equipment: MyPlate chart, Red, Yellow, and Green Hula Hoops, Colored Hoops to match food pyramid groups (Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple, Green, Orange), Various Food Cut-OutsActivity: Part 1: Teachers will discuss the difference between “Go, Slow, and No” foods. Go foods are healthy foods that would be okay to eat every day. They are prepared healthy. Slow foods are foods that are not as healthy but still provide some nutritional value and are okay to eat on occasion. No foods are foods that have little nutritional value and should be eaten sparingly.

The food cutouts will be laid out across the floor in front of the students. Across the gym will be GREEN (Go), YELLOW (Slow), and RED (NO) Hula Hoops. Students will have a partner and line up behind the hoops near the starting line. When the activity begins, Partner A will move to the other side of the space and collect 1 food cut out and carry it to the other end and place it inside the hoop it best fits. Partner B will take his/her turn and partners will continue alternating who collects the cards until all the food is collected or the teacher changes up the activity (adds fitness activities or changes the locomotor patterns, etc.). Teachers will briefly go over the students work and discuss making good food choices with students.

Part 2: Teachers will go over the different food groups. And lay out the colored hoops to match the food pyramid in the center of the gym. To help the students, the teacher can lay out posters food group posters for students to use as a reference/key. The second relay, students will travel to the other end of the gym and pick up a food cut out and take it to the correct hula hoop to match the food group it belongs. This will continue until all food is labeled. Teachers will briefly go over the students work and discuss foods that fit into more than 1 food group. This is also a good time to discuss what nutrients we get from different food groups.

Clear MyPlate

The teacher will split the group into two equal teams. Each team will line up on either side of a playing area. In the center of the playing area, spread out near the midline, nutrition cards will be scattered (50-100). Behind each team’s line will be polyspots or MyPlate Task Cards that the teams will try to fill using the nutrition cards. When the activity begins, the students from both teams will move into the playing area and try to remove/collect foods to create different MyPlates on their team’s side. To remove the food, the students will; 1) go to a card and stand near it, 2) look at the number of calories on the card, 3) perform the activity designated to remove a card with that many calories, 4) take the card back to the tea, and place it on a polyspot or MyPlate task card. While a player is trying to complete the task, he/she can be challenged by a player from the other team. If challenged, the players will play Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) to see who remains at the nutrition card and will try to earn it by completing the task. Depending on the fitness task chosen by the teacher (upper body, lower body, or core), the players will play RPS in a 1) plank position – upper body, 2) using feet – lower body, or 3) balancing on their bottom – core.

Teaching Tips:

1. Students from each team who are playing must face the opposing team when attempting to collect a nutrition card. This will keep players from confusing the other team when trying to collect spots.

2. The teacher will designate the fitness activity based on student’s grade/ability levels.3. The teacher should change the muscle group focus of the fitness activity when students are showing fatigue.4. Discuss with students which body parts/muscle groups are being used to play the game.5. Incorporate locomotor patterns when the students are traveling.6. Provide a chart so that students will know what activities they need to complete to earn the nutrition card.7. Take time to connect the concept of energy in/energy out with the students through the activity.8. This activity also reinforces the MyPlate concept of balancing meals with foods from each food group.

Adaptations:

1. To make the game more interesting, allow players from each team to collect nutrition cards from the other team’s side. Players can perform the fitness task to collect the nutrition card from the other team’s side. When such a card is collected, it will be returned to the middle of the playing area so that it can be re-collected by any team.

MYPLATE BOWLING CHALLENGE (adapted from Jessica Shawley)

Equipment: 12 – 24 bowling pins or empty plastic bottles, 2 coated foam balls per team, food group cards, 1-4 baskets/hoops to hold food group cards, 1 polyspot per team (this acts as the team’s empty MyPlate)Skills: Rolling at a Target, Teamwork, StrategyOrganization: Teams (groups of 4’s on on half of the space and plastic bottles randomly spaced on other half of the open spaceActivity: Each team of 4 students will start with 2 gatorskin balls. When the game begins, players will take turns (one at a time rolling a ball towards the bottles at the other end of the space. After each roll, the student who rolled the ball will follow it and retrieve it. If the ball knocks over a pin/bottle, the students will pick up the bottle/pin before returning back to the team with the ball. If a bottle/pin was knocked down, before returning, the player will also collect a food group card from one of the baskets/hoops and start filling out “the team’s MyPlate”). If no bottle/pin is knocked over, the partner will quickly return the ball to the team so the next player can roll. The quicker the ball is returned, the better the chance that the team will complete the task of completing a full MyPlate (all 5 food groups). If a team can complete the challenge, they earn a MyPlate super bonus and start to complete another MyPlate.

2. Adaptations/Tips : 1) Remind students that they may NOT throw or bounce the ball. 2) No duplicate cards can be collected. If a duplicate card is selected, it must be returned to the pile.3) Have students travel using different locomotor patterns while collecting the ball.4) If a team completes the task, then they must use their non-dominant hand for round two.

Food Group Tag

Set-up: Place 5 colored hula hoops on the perimeter of the playing area (red, blue, green, orange, purple). The hoops represent the 5-food groups. In each hoop, place a task card (see attached) with the food group’s name, the essential nutrient from that food group, and a fitness task (students will perform the exercise while spelling the essential nutrient from that food group).

Activity: All students will start inside the playing area. The teacher will select five students to start as the “Food Group Taggers”. Each tagger will have a noodle piece or a coated foam ball that matches the colors of one of the food groups (red, blue, green, orange, purple). When the activity begins, the taggers will attempt to tag other students on the leg with their tagging object (no throwing). If tagged, the student must go to the color hula hoop that matches the object that tagged him/her and perform the activity at the hoop. When the task is complete, he/she may reenter the game. Once someone is tagged, the tagger will drop the tagging object and is NO LONGER the tagger. Any student without a tagging object can now become a “food group tagger”.

Adaptations: 1) Designate a different locomotor pattern after a certain amount of time. 2) Students who are not moving (hiding in the corner or standing around) are considered teacher “outs” and will report to the closest hula hoop and complete the task to get back into the game. 3) Based on age and developmental level, increase or decrease physical challenges for the students to complete. 4) Reinforce the activity by asking students what essential nutrients come from each food group. 5) For older students, ask them to provide a reason why each nutrient is needed by the body.

MyPlate Fitness Relay (with help from Dawn Burke)

Set-Up: Place nutrition cards on one end of the playing area. Teams of two will be standing on the opposite side of the gym behind a MyPlate Fitness Task Card (see blank MyPlates attached).

Activity: One player at a time will travel to the other side of the space and collect one nutrition card to begin completing a balanced MyPlate. Partners will take turns collecting the nutrition cards in an attempt to get 1 food from each of the 5 food groups. When a food is brought back, the student who brings the card back will use the task card to complete the activity (i.e. – fruits = jumping jacks). When the next player returns, he/she will complete the task that matches his/her food choice. The object of the game is to complete as many balanced MyPlates as possible before time runs out.

Adaptations: 1) Designate a different locomotor pattern after a certain amount of time. 2) Allow students to do a 3-second celebration each time they complete a balanced MyPlate. 3) When done with each plate, have the students rate the level of health for the plate. 4) Discuss the concept of a balanced diet that includes all food groups, ask students to give some examples of healthy choices for each food group for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Jumping jacks

Run in place Sky jumps

Curl-ups

Jump with your pretend jump rope

FOOD GROUP TAG

DAIRYC-A-L-C-I-U-M

FOOD GROUP TAG

GrainsC-A-R-B-O-H-Y-D-R-A-T-E-S

Push-Up Shoulder Taps

FOOD GROUP TAG

FruitsV-I-T-A-M-I-N-S

Squat Jumps

FOOD GROUP TAG

VegetablesV-I-T-A-M-I-N-S

Knee Curl-ups

FOOD GROUP TAG

Meat and BeansP-R-O-T-E-I-N-S

Crab Kicks