‘You are what you eat.’ we have often heard this. However, it’s safe to say for children that they are what they play. After all, play is the language of children. How often do you have this fight on the dinner table that you tell your little human to eat their veggies and they’ll give you an excuse or straight up a bad face to the vegetable? It’s time to move on from that and embrace a new way of making them eat those veggies. 

As we mentioned before, play is the language of children. Why not incorporate healthy eating activities into daily play so they are more acquainted and familiar with the vegetables they’ll have for dinner? We assure you that it will increase their chances of eating them instead of just throwing faces at them. 

Needless to say, here, we’ve got a treasure trove of activities and games that will not only educate but also entertain your little ones. These interactive and delightful activities are designed to help children develop the skills to make healthy food choices while having a blast. All of these activities can be adapted for home, classroom as well as childcare centers. So, let's dive in beginning with a veggie guessing bag. 

Veggie Guessing Bag

Our first game on the list is the Veggie Guessing Bag. It's a sensory adventure where kids can increase their recognition and awareness of various vegetables.

How to Play:

1. Grab a bag and fill it with different vegetables (real or toys).

2. Let the kids take turns reaching into the bag to feel, smell, and maybe even taste (the real ones) the veggies without looking.

3. They then guess what each vegetable is.

Benefits:

• Sensory Development: Engaging multiple senses (touch, smell, and taste) enhances sensory perception.

• Vegetable Recognition: Familiarizes kids with different vegetables, promoting recognition and awareness.

• Curiosity and Learning: Introduces children to new vegetables in a fun and mysterious way, sparking curiosity and interest in healthy foods.

Now that we've played detective with our veggies, let's move on to something even more creative.

Creating Fruit and Vegetable People

Next up, let's get those creative juices flowing with the Creating Fruit and Vegetable People activity!

How to Play:

1. Provide a variety of fruits and vegetables along with toothpicks.

2. Encourage kids to create funny faces or full figures using the produce.

Benefits:

• Creativity and Imagination: Allows children to express their creativity by making unique characters.

• Nutritional Awareness: Teaches children about different fruits and vegetables.

• Fine Motor Skills: Handling small items like toothpicks and fruit pieces improves fine motor skills.

Speaking of memory, let’s see how well they can remember their healthy foods with the next game.

Food Memory Game

Memory games are fantastic for developing concentration and focus, and this Food Memory Game adds a healthy twist to this classic.

How to Play:

1. Create cards with pictures of various healthy foods.

2. Lay them out face down and let the kids take turns flipping them to find matching pairs.

3. Each time a match is found, discuss the benefits of that particular food.

Benefits:

• Cognitive Skills: Enhances attention, concentration, and memory.

• Healthy Food Identification: This helps kids identify and remember healthy foods.

• Educational Discussion: Promotes conversations about the nutritional benefits of different foods.

Ready to mix things up a bit? Let’s grab some art supplies for our next exciting activity.

Create a Fruit and Veggie Poster or Placemat

Art and healthy eating go hand in hand with the Fruit and Veggie Poster or Placemat activity.

How to Play:

1. Give kids a large piece of paper and some drawing or cutting and pasting supplies.

2. Ask them to draw or paste pictures of their favorite fruits and vegetables.

Benefits:

• Exploration: Encourages children to explore different fruits and vegetables.

• Creativity: Promotes artistic expression through drawing or collage making.

• Personalized Mealtime: Makes mealtime more exciting with personalized placemats or colorful posters.

Now let's take our tastebuds on a little adventure with a themed tasting day.

Theme Tasting Day

Exploration and tasting take center stage on Theme Tasting Day. This activity is a fantastic way for kids to broaden their palates and learn about the variety of foods available.

How to Play:

1. Choose a theme, such as different types of apples or various kinds of berries.

2. Set up a tasting station by providing a selection of these foods for tasting.

3. Discuss the flavors, textures, and preferences.

Benefits:

• Food Variety Knowledge: Increases children's knowledge of different types of foods.

• Sensory Exploration: Encourages children to explore and appreciate diverse flavors and textures.

• Discussion and Preferences: Promotes discussions about food preferences and healthy choices.

Time to put those problem-solving skills to the test with this next game.

Pick the Odd One Out

For a fun twist on problem-solving and critical thinking, try this game. This engaging activity challenges kids to identify the item that doesn't belong in a given list, helping them enhance their food literacy and analytical skills in a playful manner.

How to Play:

1. Create lists of foods where one item doesn’t belong (e.g., apple, banana, carrot, grape).

2. Ask kids to identify the odd one out and explain why.

Benefits:

• Problem-Solving Skills: Enhances critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

• Food Literacy: Improves understanding of different food groups and categories.

• Engagement: Makes learning about food fun and interactive.

Let’s label up a storm and learn some cool facts about our favorite foods.

Food Labeling Activity

Boost food recognition with a fun and educational Food Labeling Activity. This activity is designed to help children improve their food identification skills while learning about the nutritional value and categories of various foods.

How to Play:

1. Collect pictures or samples of various foods, labels, markers, and category cards.

2. Arrange food items and place category cards on a table or board.

3. Kids label each food item and place it under the correct category.

4. Kids take turns labeling and categorizing foods, discussing their choices, and sharing facts.

Benefits:

• Food Recognition: Improves recognition and naming of various fruits and vegetables.

• Language Skills: Enhances vocabulary and language skills through labeling.

• Interactive Learning: Creates opportunities for engaging discussions about food.

Now let’s roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty with some gardening fun.

Planting a Herb or Veggie Garden

Getting hands-on with nature is next with Planting a Herb or Veggie Garden. This activity teaches children where food comes from and how it grows, instilling a sense of responsibility and accomplishment.

How to Play:

1. Provide small pots or a garden space, soil, gardening tools, seeds or small plants, and labels with markers.

2. Show kids how to fill pots with soil, plant seeds or small plants, and label each pot or garden section.

3. Teach kids about plant needs like sunlight, water, and care, and how to check soil moisture.

4. Have kids take turns planting, water plants regularly, track growth on a chart, and discuss plant growth stages.

Benefits:

• Understanding Food Origins: Teaches children where food comes from and how it grows.

• Responsibility: Instills a sense of responsibility as kids care for their plants.

• Hands-On Learning: Provides a practical, hands-on learning experience.

Feeling snacky? Let’s turn snack time into a creative and healthy art project.

Healthy Snack Makers

Turn snack time into an art project with Healthy Snack Makers. This engaging activity allows children to learn about nutritious foods while expressing their creativity by assembling healthy ingredients into fun and imaginative snack designs.

How to Play:

1. Collect a variety of healthy ingredients like fruits, vegetables, whole grain crackers, cheese slices, yogurt, and nut butter.

2. Arrange the ingredients on a table or counter, and provide each child with a plate and utensils.

3. Encourage kids to create fun snack designs and explain the nutritional benefits of the ingredients.

4. Let kids create their snack art, encourage creativity, and have a "snack show and tell" where they present and discuss their creations.

Benefits:

• Nutrition Awareness: Educates kids about nutritious snacks and their benefits.

• Creativity: Encourages creative expression through snack art.

• Healthy Habits: Promotes healthy eating habits in a fun and engaging way.

Time to step out and explore where our food comes from with some exciting excursions.

Foody Excursions

This activity involves visiting places like farms, markets, or bakeries to give children a firsthand look at where their food comes from and how it is produced. 

How to Play:

1. Choose a destination such as a local farm, farmer’s market, grocery store, or bakery, and arrange a tour or interactive session suitable for children.

2. Brief the children on what they will see and learn, discuss the importance of the destination, and provide necessary materials like notebooks and comfortable attire.

3. Lead a guided tour, encourage questions and engagement with guides, and take photos to document the experience.

4. Discuss the excursion with the children, encourage them to share their thoughts, and use notes and photos to create a collaborative project like a poster or scrapbook.

Benefits:

• Food System Knowledge: Increases understanding of the food supply chain and where food comes from.

• Real-World Learning: Provides real-world experiences that reinforce classroom learning.

• Engagement: Makes learning about food systems interactive and engaging.

Finally, let's wrap things up with a fun educational twist on our food adventure.

Letter of the Week

This engaging educational activity helps children expand their vocabulary, improve their literacy skills, and learn about different foods by focusing on a new letter each week.

How to Play:

1. Select a letter to focus on for the week and display it prominently in the classroom or at home.

2. Present a variety of foods that start with the chosen letter, using pictures, real samples, or toy versions.

3. Talk about each food item, explaining its origin, and nutritional benefits encouraging children to share their experiences with these foods.

4. Engage children in writing the names of the foods, practicing spelling, and using the words in sentences, along with tracing and drawing activities.

5. Have children create a "Letter of the Week" poster and organize a cooking activity using one of the foods.

6. Play matching games with food pictures and words, and use letter blocks or magnets to form the names of the foods.

7. Review what was learned and encourage kids to bring in foods from home.

Benefits:

• Vocabulary Building: Expands children's vocabulary with food-related words.

• Literacy Skills: Enhances literacy skills through discussions and activities.

• Food Exploration: Introduces new foods and encourages exploration of different foods.

Conclusion

And there you have it—an exciting lineup of healthy eating activities for kids that make learning about healthy eating fun and interactive. From the sensory adventure of the Veggie Guessing Bag to the creative flair of making Fruit and Vegetable People, these activities are designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and a love for nutritious foods. 

Whether you're planting a garden, embarking on a Foody Excursion, or diving into the Letter of the Week, each activity offers a unique way to connect kids with their food and encourage healthy habits. So gather your little ones, roll up your sleeves, and dive into the delicious world of healthy eating.