Get ready to combine fitness and nutrition in an engaging nutrition activity! Students will develop locomotor skills and spatial awareness while learning about the importance of different food groups and proper nutrition!
Objective:
To allow for movement that develops different locomotor skills and spatial awareness, and to help students understand the food groups and proper nutrition. (This activity can be done in the classroom or the gym.)
Directions for Level 1: “Feeling Great or Whoa”
The teacher states the name of a food. If it is a healthy food, the students say “Feeling Great” and then walk around the room. If it is an unhealthy food, the students say “Whoa” as they squat down with palms out in front of their bodies (“whoa” means hold up and don’t eat too much of it).
Example of Level 1:
- Apples = “Feeling Great” and walk
- Broccoli = “Feeling Great” and walk
- Donuts = “Whoa” and squat down
Directions for Level 2: Food Groups = Different Movement Activities
Teacher asks for a food group and then teaches the movement for that food group. Practice by calling out a few foods in that group and then move on to another food group. Eventually all food groups will be learned and done together as shown in Example of Level 2.
Movements for each food group:
- Junk Food = “Whoa” and Squat Down with Palms Out
- Fruit = ”Feeling Great” and Skip (fruits taste good and make us excited to skip)
- Protein = ”Feeling Great” and Push-ups or air squats alternative (protein helps build muscle)
- Dairy = ”Feeling Great” and Dance (dairy makes us want to dance)
- Grains = ”Feeling Great” and Gallop (grains make us gallop like a horse)
- Vegetables = ”Feeling Great” and Run in Place or around the gym (vegetables make us run)
Example of Level 2:
- Apples = “Feeling Great” and skip
- Asparagus = “Feeling Great” and run in place
- Donuts = “Whoa” and squat down with palms out
- Milk = “Feeling Great” and dance
- Whole Wheat Bread = “Feeling Great” and gallop
- Baked Chicken = “Feeling Great” and push-ups
- Potato Chips = “Whoa” and squat down with palms out
