So, I am working on a 4 day curriculum on healthy foods for Lauren's preschool. I'm laying all my ideas out there so that I can remember them, and so that you can give me feedback and ideas, if you so choose. :-) The youngest kids are almost 2, the oldest just turned 5, and thye are divided into classes by age. And really, I'd appreciate hearing your ideas and suggestions.
Food Pyramid Project (FPP)
- The FPP for the littlest ones will be about identifying foods as fruits, veggies, meats, grains. Maybe some big cut outs that they sort.
- there will be a collage project with the older ones cutting out from grocery store sales flyers, gluing items into their group.
Healthy Snack Day
- this curriculum will coincide with the Mother's Day Tea - we'll ask parents to help their child pick one of their favorite healthy snacks to bring and share. There will be no cookies/cupcakes/sugary punch.
Thank You Card craft
- the kids will decorate a pre-printed card that says something to the effect of, "Thank you, ________ (we'll hand-write mom or dad or grandpa, etc.) for all the healthy foods you feed me! I am growing up happy and strong, developing good habits that will stick with me for life!"
Leafy Comparison
- we'll bring in varieties of lettuces and other leafy greens, and let the kids compare the shapes, sizes, colors, tastes
Some songs and poems:
Peanut Sitting on A Railroad Track - song
A peanut sat on a railroad track
His heart was all aflutter (pat hand over heart.)
Around the bend came number ten, (hold up ten fingers).
Choo-Choo Peanut Butter (pretend you are pulling whistle.)
Smack (clap hands together).
I Eat My Peas With Honey - poem
I eat my peas with honey;
I’ve done it all my life.
It makes them taste funny,
But it keeps them on the knife.
Little Carrots - sung to "Ten Little Indians"
One little, two little, thre little carrots
Four little, five little, six little carrotts
Seven little, eight little, nine little carrots
Ten carrots in the garden plot.
(this can be sung with different veggies, too)
Some books to read:
The Little Red Hen
Feast for Ten
I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato
A Bad Case of Stripes
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food
Hopefully I can also post some info for parents, with healthy snack ideas, hints about encouraging eating veggies, etc.
Oh, and fruit salad - each class will get to make their own fruit salad for snack one day. getting kids involved in food prep goes a long way towards them trying and liking a variety of foods.
ReplyDeleteMaybe read Stone Soup and make stone soup for lunch - not the same day we make fruit salad or have our Mother's Day Tea.
ReplyDeleteInvite the families to contribute some of their favorite healthy recipes/meal ideas to be copied and shared with everyone.
a blank sheet of paper with "In my garden I will grow..." printed at the top - let the kids color, cut,etc. to plant their garden. Tie this is with a book about planting a veggie garden.
ReplyDelete