Teaching kids about nutrition is important so that they know eat healthy--and why it's important. You could tell them about nutrition and how they can eat healthy, but if you really want to get them excited, teach them using a game. Making a bingo game about nutrition should get kids more interested in eating healthy while also educating them.
Nutrients
Print blank bingo cards, which can be found at the website provided in the Resources section. Write a different nutrient in each square of the bingo card; a list of nutrients found in food is also linked in the Resources section. Fill in the remaining squares on the bingo card with unhealthy things found in food, such as saturated fat and sugars. Make sure that you arrange the nutrients and unhealthy items differently on each bingo card so that each child has a different card. Write down a list of facts, one for each nutrient and unhealthy item, such as how they help or hinder the body or foods that they can be found in. Teach the kids about the nutrients and unhealthy items. Give each child 25 buttons and start reading off the clues. The kids cover the corresponding nutrients and unhealthy items on their bingo cards.
Healthy Foods
Cut out small pictures of different healthy foods, such as fruits, proteins and vegetables, and glue them into the squares of the bingo cards. Write a list of clues for the healthy foods, such as the nutrients they contain or how they're produced. Teach the children how the foods are grown and why they are good for them. Read off the clues and have the children cover the corresponding foods on their bingo cards with buttons.
Nutrition Labels
Use the information from the Food and Drug Administration website, linked in the Resources section, to teach the kids about nutrition labels. Fill the squares of the bingo cards with different items that appear on nutrition labels, such as serving size, calories and cholesterol. Write a list of clues for each item on the bingo card. Read the clues to the children and have them cover the corresponding item on their bingo card with a button.
Prizes
Give the winners of the bingo game healthy snacks such as little bags of carrots or apple wedges. You can also give them prizes that encourage them to get active, such as jump ropes or kickballs.
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