Nutrition Games for Children

by Lisa Young, Nutritional Counselor

As a parent, you probably know that kids develop food likes and dislikes at an early age. That’s why educating young kids on nutrition is so important. When children understand the difference between healthy foods and unhealthy foods, better nutrition can be the result.

Children are more likely to eat healthy foods like vegetables when part of a fun nutrition game they can enjoy. The best nutrition games will model good eating habits for kids and make nutrition enjoyable.

Childhood Obesity Prevention

Obesity in children between 2 and 5 years of age has risen dramatically worldwide in recent years. Poor eating habits must be corrected while kids are young, lest they become ingrained by the time they reach adolescence.

Overweight children and adolescents are at greater risk of serious health problems, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, the statistics show that overweight children and adolescents are more prone to becoming obese adults, making early intervention vital.

Educational Nutrition Activities

There are a variety of fun nutrition activities designed to educate children about healthy eating habits. These activities help illustrate to kids the way vitamins and minerals support the body’s bone and muscle growth.

Nutrition games such as the “Classroom Cafe” are interactive learning environments where the entire classroom becomes a restaurant. Children start by clipping pictures from food magazines and then sorting them into food groups like meats, vegetables, grains, dairy and fruit.

After the kids have made their food choices, a “chef” will recommend healthy foods that he will then prepare and serve to each customer. This nutrition game teaches children that nutritious food can also taste good.

Another fun nutrition game is the grocery store activity, which asks kids to brainstorm about nutritious foods that they should purchase in a grocery store or supermarket. After creating a grocery list, the teacher asks the kids if any of the foods should be considered junk foods. If so, then that food is removed from the list, leaving behind more healthy alternatives.

Teaching Kids About Proper Nutrition

Yet another activity that teaches kids about better nutrition is the mystery food game. This games requires a brown paper bag which is then filled with different food items like a hard-boiled egg, a banana, an apple, a pretzel, and so on.

Each student will then be given a chance to feel the food items inside the bag. The child will then describe the size, shape and texture of each item. Correctly-guessed items should be displayed for all the students to see.

There are many other enjoyable and educational nutrition activities children can play, such as a pizza party, guessing games, nutrition field trips and online nutrition games for kids. At home, you might try creating your own television cooking show for kids or watching child nutrition videos together.

Enjoyable and healthy nutrition games can go a long way toward instilling proper eating habits in your kids from a young age. Making nutrition fun for kids helps them to better understand how good nutrition affects the body’s development in a positive way.