More Teaching Ideas

Healthy Snack Party and Food Group Quilt

Grade Level: Primary

Activity 1 - Healthy Snack Party
After completing all of the food group activities in the unit, celebrate with a Healthy Snack Party. Deborah held the party right after gym class when students were hungry!

What To Do
• Make a large name card for each food group - Milk, Meat, Grain, Fruit and Vegetable - and place each card on a different table.
• Cover each table with white butcher paper for a tablecloth.
• Put crayons on each table and let children "decorate" the tablecloth with pictures of food from that group.
• Have each child bring in 25 small portions (adjust for your class size) of their favorite healthy snack. A few days before, send a note home to parents telling them about the party and what children need to bring.
• The day of the party have each child show their snack, tell the class what it is and why they like it. Then have them place it on the correct Food Group table.
• After all the foods are on the table, have students visit each table and try healthy Five Food Group samples.

Activity 2 - Food Group Quilt
After completing the entire Pyramid Cafe® booklet, Deborah made a Five Food Group quilt. She fastened the completed quilt to a dowel and hung it in the school's cafeteria.

What to Do
• Cut 28 5 x 6-inch pieces of various color construction paper. Label each in the upper corner with letters A through Z (hold the two extra for later). Place the cards in a box. Have each student draw one letter.
• Send each child's alphabet-construction paper home with them. At home, they should draw a picture of a Five Food Group food that begins with their assigned letter. They should also write the name of their food beneath it.
• Write the quilt's title, "The ABC's of Healthy Eating," on one of the extra cards. Write the name of your class on the other extra card.
• Assemble the completed card into a quilt with 7 rows of four each. Begin the first row with the quilt title and end the last row with your class name. Glue the pieces together, make "stitch marks" with a black marker and laminate. Mount it on a dowel and display in the hall, cafeteria or entrance to the school.

"The students were beaming with pride as they walked past their creation. It reminded everyone that there are lots of healthy food choices. Thank you again for your colorful and fascinating Pyramid Cafe¨ booklets. Our class truly enjoyed using them and learning about the Five Food Groups!"
- Deborah Robinson
Grace Christian School