Nutrition Craft and Fun Ideas 1-2 - 3 Learn Curriculum graphic used: Lisa's Country Clip Art
Craft Ideas The following sheets are additional ideas for you to use with your Nutrition theme. Most supplies needed with these craft ideas are probably supplies you already have on hand for your child care / preschool. Check the supplies needed with each craft before you do them to have supplies on hand. Have fun! Jean 1 2 3 Learn Curriculum
Carrot Garden (Bulletin Board Idea) Cut out one carrot shape for each child. Make the carrot out of orange and the top out of green. Put a picture of each child at the top of the carrot, but below the green top. Make your background half ground and half blue or green. Put the carrot tops coming out of the grown ground. Use the caption: Growing up Strong and Healthy
Bread Collage Provide magazines for the children to find and cut out pictures of different types of bread. (Pick up old cook books at garage sale). These pictures can be glue or pasted to a piece of construction paper or a paper plate, create a bread collage. You can use this idea also for creating a fruit, vegetable or nutritious food collage. Bread Sponge Painting Supplies: Bread cookie cutters paint Let the children cut out sponge shapes using the cookie cutters and bread. Place the bread sponges and shallow trays of paint on the table. The children can dip the sponge into the paint and then press it onto a piece of paper to create bread prints. (Use a wheat bread. Denser to paint with) Graphic Used: Countryclipart.com
Placemats Using large construction paper, have the children pick out their favorite color for their placemat. Prepare in advance stencils of a plate (make a circle or use a paper plate), fork, knife, spoon, cup and napkin. Let the children trace these items onto different colored construction paper and cut out. Have them glue the items in the correct position. Thank You Card Make a thank you care for whoever cooks at home to show them how much they are appreciated for the good nutritious foods they prepare. Pretzel Sort and Count Provide each child with a cup containing various sizes and shapes of pretzels. Encourage the children to empty the cup onto a clean napkin or paper plate and sort the pretzels by size or shape. Depending on the age of the children, the children can count how many pretzels they have of each shape. Upon completion of the activity, the children can eat their pretzels. Graphic Used: Countryclipart.com
Sensory Place different types of grains in the sensory table. Examples include corn, rice, barley, wheat and oats. Provide pails, spoons, measuring cups, flour sifters and scoops to encourage active exploration. Place play dough in the sensory table with rolling pins, measuring cups, muffin tins and plastic knives. Another idea: Fill the table with sand, potting soil or rice. Bury a variety of plastic vegetables and invite the children to dig them up with hand tools used for gardening. Restaurant Prepare the housekeeping area as a restaurant. Provide props such as a tablecloth, dishes, cooking utensils and a cash register with play money. Create menus by cutting pictures from magazines and gluing onto construction paper. Include pictures of different foods. Graphic Used: Countryclipart.com
Chef Hat Make each of your little cooks a Chef hat. Form a 10 high strip of butcher paper or parchment cooking paper into a cylinder for each child and tape it in place to fit. Add names to front. Graphic Used: Countryclipart.com
Fruit Salad Snack: Yields 16 servings 1 each of: orange, apple, banana, pear, some grapes, pecans. (Be aware of peanut allergies) Cut up the orange, apple, banana, pear and place in a bowl. Add grapes and pecans. Mix with cool whip and chill. Yummy snack. Good and Bad Snacks Give each of the children a couple of Oreo cookies. Have then eat them and let them look in the mirror at their teeth. Discuss with them how plaque builds up on your teeth. Next give the children some fruit and have them look at their teeth again. Discuss with children how some goods are good for your teeth and how others are not. (All cookie snacks should be eaten in moderation). Graphic Used: Countryclipart.com
Apple Sandwich Apples, Peanut Butter Slice apples the round way so that a star is formed in the center. Spread a slice of peanut netter and top with a second slice to form a sandwich. (You won t need to core the apples if the slices are then). Be aware of peanut allergies when making this snack. Breakfast Banana Splits Use oatmeal (or any hot cereal) instead of ice cream, and place over cut up bananas. For toppings you can use crushed pineapple, strawberry preserves or thawed frozen strawberries and of course, a little chocolate syrup and a little whip cream. Make these breakfast banana splits child size so that they can finish them. Frozen Blueberries Freeze blueberries and have children pick them up with toothpicks for a snack. Graphic Used: Countryclipart.com
Apple Trees - Makes 4 servings Ingredients Dipping Sauce ½ cup plain nonfat yogurt ¼ cup light sour cream 2 teaspoons honey 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard Broccoli Trees 2 carrots, peeled 3 cups broccoli 4 cherry tomatoes cut in 1/2 3 tablespoons parsley leaves 1. To prepare dipping sauce, combine yogurt, sour cream, honey and mustard in a small bowl. 2. Hold carrots against cutting board and trim off ends. Cut each half, crosswise, then lengthwise to make four pieces. 3. Arrange each plate by putting 2 carrot pieces sideby-side in the center. Arrange broccoli around the carrots forming a cluster. Arrange a couple tomatoes among the broccoli as apples. Spoon the dip around the base of carrots and sprinkle with parsley. Graphic Used: Graphics Factory
Breakfast Plate Art Glue cereal, eggs (yellow styrofoam pieces), brown construction paper cut into strips for bacon onto a paper plate. Discuss with the children why it s important to have a good, healthy breakfast to start their day. Pasta with Pizzazz Dip several cotton balls in brown paint and place them on waxed paper to dry. Pile cooked spaghetti noodles on a paper plate and also let that dry. Using red paint, color the noodles to look as though they are topped with spaghetti sauce. After the paint dries, glue the balls on the noodles for meatballs. Making Bread Frozen bread dough loafs are great for this experiment. Take the bread from the freezer 1 st thing in the morning. Prepare it according to the package. Put in a warm place. Children can observe it during the day. Talk about how the bread rises and when the bread is ready - bake. Spread butter and jam on the bread. Graphic Used: Graphics Factory
Stone Soup Day Read the story Stone Soup to the children and then have a Stone Soup Day. Ask the parents to donate one item that the children would like to have in their soup. Provide the rock. While the soup is cooking, read the story to the children again. When the soup is done you can serve for lunch. Food Art Items needed: Baking sheet, flour or salt Sprinkle flour or salt over a baking sheet. Show the children you can draw in the flour with your finger. Draw letters, numbers, shapes. Let the children try copying what you draw. Practice writing letters shapes, etc. Pudding Paint Prepare pudding ahead of time or have the children help make it. Allow children to finger paint with the pudding on a plastic lined paper or waxed paper. Clean up is fun! Graphic Used: Graphics Factory
Good Food Collage Print up the following sheet onto white card stock. Make a good food for your body collage. Cut out pictures from magazines, have children glue onto their body picture. Punch a hole in the top to attach a piece of yarn, so it can be hung or use as a bulletin board display. Jumbo Toothbrush Help children make oversize toothbrushes. Use as a bulletin board titles Healthy Habits. Fold a piece of white card stock in half. (Length) Draw lines and have children cut up the lines to make bristles for their tooth brush. Make a brush handles out of colored card stock. Glue bristles onto handle. Fruit Plate Give each child a paper plate and sliced fruit. Ask them to create themselves using the slices of fruit. Example grapes for eyes, sliced apple for eye brows, banana lengthwise for a mouth and a kiwi slice for nose. This is an ideal time to discuss the importance of eating well to maintain healthy bodies. When their creation is finished, they may eat their fruit plate for snack. Graphic Used: Graphics Factory
Name Healthy Body Collage 1 2 3 Learn Curriculum
Healthy Food Place Mats Supplies Needed: Assorted fruit and vegetables, paint and paper Cut different fruits and vegetables in half. Do this ahead of time so they can dry out a bit. Have the children dip them in different color of paint and stamp them on a piece of white construction paper. When they are dry, cover them with clear contact paper or laminate for a cute Good Foods place mat. Bag Lunch When talking about healthy foods give each child a brown lunch bag. Ask them what food items they would like their mom or dad to pack for them. Have children cut out pictures of the food they would like from magazines, grocery story ads or other resources. Children can then glue the food to the outside of their lunch bag. You could display the bags on a bulletin board, with the title Healthy Foods to Eat.
Preschool Cook Books Make a preschool cook book. Print up the 1 page (cover) on white card stock. Use a blank piece of card stock for the back page. Make 1 copy of one of the recipe sheet for each child. Send home and have parents fill out the child s favorite recipe. Send back to preschool. Put all the sheets together and bind into a Preschool Cook Book. 1 2 3 Learn Curriculum
Preschool Cookbook 1 2 3 Learn Curriculum
My Favorite Recipe Serves From the kitchen of: Ingredients: Recipe instructions: 1 2 3 Learn Curriculum
My Favorite Recipe Serves From the kitchen of: Ingredients: Recipe instructions: 1 2 3 Learn Curriculum
My Favorite Recipe Serves From the kitchen of: Ingredients: Recipe instructions: 1 2 3 Learn Curriculum
My Favorite Recipe Serves From the kitchen of: Ingredients: Recipe instructions: 1 2 3 Learn Curriculum