"Snack Attack" Warm Up Game Version (2-3 Fruits and Vegetables focus)

“ Tell me and I forget, Teach me and I remember, Involve me and I learn.” - Ben Franklin

-The famous quote above sums up my approach to Nutrition Education.  Through the use of activities and games that do not sacrifice the "movement" part of PE, I beleive that teaching Nutrition concepts can be very effective and dynamic.  

Rather than having the students sit on the gym floor (does not make sense in PE?) and tell them about nutrition concepts, I instead try and make the lecture come to life by involving them (passing around rubber fruits and vegetables that look like the real thing and "healing" their classmates).  The take away points that students hopefully grasp from being fully involved in this games process is that fruits and vegetables are a great way to stay healthy.  IIf your not feeling the greatest then you may want to try to eat some more fruits/vegetables.

The game above is called "Snack Attack."  This game is introduced early in the year as a main acitivty that we spend the majority of class focusing on.  It is then reintroduced several times throughout the year as a warm up game.  In the game two students are picked to to be the "Unhealthy Snack Tagger's."  When students are picked for this position I ask them to brainstorm and tell the class which "Unhealthy Snack" they are going to be.  Responses range from "Candy Bars, potato chips, fast food etc...  We then pick the "Healthy Snack" positions.  These students get one of the rubber fruits and vegetables that have been pulled out of the bag for the day.  Today we used the "Grapes" and "Carrot."  If students are not "Unhealthy Snack Tagger's" or "Healthy Snacks" they are "Healthy Kids!" 

When the game begins the "Healthy Kids" are running all around the gym trying to flee the "Unhealthy Snack Tagger's."  If tagged, the "Healthy Kids" become sick and have to wave their arms slowly and say "HHHHHEEEEEELLLLLPPPPP!" because too much "Junk Food" will make you lethargic, sick and slow you down.  When a "Healthy Snack" sees a once "Healthy Kid" moving their arms slow, they quickly come to their rescue and depending on the fruit or vegetable in their hand they say: "Grapes are a healthy snack!"  The "Sick" student takes the "Grape" and immediately finds another "Sick" student to heal.  

The game goes on like this for about five minutes.  In those five minutes, students have gotten a tremendous cardiovascular workout, and learned what "Grapes" and "Carrot's" look like and do to make the human body more healthy.

(This was Mrs. Cole's Kindergarten class by the way...)

Best,

Mr. Shackett