Game

Wellness World

Teams work together to knock over cones that represent food choices with added sugar.

wellness world image- sanford fit

Key Message

Think your food! Choose fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grain, and milk without added sugar for meals and snacks. And don't forget, it's important to drink plenty of water!

Objectives

  1. Distinguish green-light foods and beverages (i.e. foods and beverages with no sugar or only natural sugars) from red-light foods and beverages (i.e., foods and beverages with added sugar).

  1. Identify fruits, vegetables, protein foods, whole grains, milk, and water as nutritious food choices

  1. Apply a variety of motor skills and movement patterns to game play.

Preparation

  • Safety: Use cones or place markers to section off  a playing area. It should be divided into two equal sections, one for each team, and a safe distance from obstacles and walls.
  • Ensure equipment and materials are properly cleaned.
  • Determine how you will group learners, using best practice guidelines from Effective Strategies for Grouping Learners.
  • Divide learners into 2 groups.
  • Each team will have three pins placed along their backline. The pins should be spaced evenly apart and placed an equal distance from each other.
  • Be prepared to demonstrate fitBoost activity and fitFlow yoga.

Warm Up

Begin with a fitBoost.

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Captivate

Say: Show me what you know about making healthy choices!

  1. If you are thirsty, is the more nutritious choice water or juice? Raise your arms high for water or fold your arms across your chest for juice.

  1. You just got home from school, and you're hungry for a snack. Is the more nutritious choice a cupcake or a banana? Do arm circles for the cupcake or move your arms as if running for the banana.

  1. It's time for breakfast and you have a choice between oatmeal with fruit or a doughnut. Flex your muscles for oatmeal with fruit or move loose like a noodle for the doughnut.

Educate

 

  1. Food is your body’s fuel! When you make nutritious food choices, your body gets energy to move and think. You just made choices between foods and beverages with and without added sugar. The most nutritious choices—foods that are the best fuel for your body—are foods without added sugar.

  1. You can use a stoplight to help make great choices for your meals and snacks. The Eat More, Eat Some, Eat Less Food Chart offers excellent examples of foods to increase in your diet and those to enjoy once in a while. 

  1. Green means go! Green-light foods usually do not have sugar added to them. They give you energy to go, grow, and know. Fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains, milk, and water are always a healthy choice.

  1. Yellow means slow down! Yellow-light foods do not keep you fueled-up because they don't have as much nutrition as green-light foods. They usually contain added sugar. Eat yellow-light foods sometimes, but not for every meal. Examples: dried fruit, veggies with sauces, flavored yogurt, granola bars, and juice.

  1. Red means stop! Foods and beverages such as juice drinks, cupcakes, candy, and donuts have extra sugar added to them. They fill you up without giving you the nutrition your body needs. It's okay to have a red-light treat once in a while, but green-light foods and drinks are always best for your body.

  1. The number one thing you need to know is that there are a lot of delicious and nutritious choices you can make for your meals and snacks.

  1. Today we are going to focus on green-light and red-light food and drink choices while we play a game called Sugar Land. We will learn to classify snacks and drinks as green-light and red-light foods.

Activate

  1. Divide learners into 4 groups. Learners in each group will work with a partner for each activity. New partners may be selected after each activity station rotation.

  2. Show food cards, one-by-one, to kids, and ask them whether they think there is added sugar to the food or drink. Separate these cards from the deck, tell kids that they are "Sneaky Snacks" (sports drinks, candy, cake, donuts, desserts, soda pop, fruit drinks, lollipops, muffins, pie). Foods without added sugar are for the "Healthy Heroes".

  3. Explain that "Sneaky Snacks" and "Healthy Heroes" live in "Wellness World". The "Sneaky Snacks" are tasty but have extra sugar, so we enjoy them in small amounts. The "Healthy Heroes" help us make choices that keep us strong and energized.

  4. Divide learners into two teams and assign each team to one half of the playing area. Both groups will be "Healthy Heroes" with team names representing a healthy food choice.

  5. Place three - five pins (e.g., plastic bowling pins, 2-liter bottles, cones, or similar objects) at the backline of each team's side. These pins should be spaced equally apart.

  6. Start the game by placing balls in the center of the playing area. On a signal, learners from both teams rush to retrieve the balls. Learners may not cross over into the other team's side during the game.

  7. Learners aim to knock down the opposing team's pins using the set balls. The main objective is to knock down all three of the other team's pins.

  8. Cones represent "Sneaky Snacks", and it is up to the "Healthy Heroes" to knock over the opposing team's cones and get rid of the "Sneaky Snacks" from "Wellness World." Tape pictures of "Sneaky Snacks" to the cones for a better visual representation.

  9. A pin must remain down if it is knocked over by a thrown ball or if a learner accidentally knocks it over with their foot or body.

  10. Learners may guard their team's pins, but they must stay at least 5 feet away from the pin they are guarding.

  11. The game continues until one team successfully knocks down all the opposing team's pins.

  12. Reset the pins and repeat for the next round.

Close the Lesson

  1. Partner learners.

  1. Do fitFlow yoga sets: Select a fitFlow card and complete the poses.

  1. While stretching, discuss green-light food and drink choices for meals and snacks. What are the learners’ favorite green-light foods?

  1. Assess whether learners can distinguish green-light foods from other food choices.

  1. Assess understanding with the following questions:

Q: How does the food you eat affect your body and brain?
A: Green-light food choices give your body nutritious fuel to go, grow, and know.

 

Q: What are some of your favorite green-light foods?
A: Name specific fruits, vegetables, proteins, whole grains, milk, or water.

 

Q: How would you explain the difference between green-light and red-light foods to a friend?
A: Green-light foods give you the best nutrition to go, grow, and know. Red-light foods can have added sugar and less nutrition than green-light foods.

 

Q: Which green-light foods will you choose at breakfast, lunch, snack, or your evening meal?
A: Name specific fruits, vegetables, proteins, whole grains, milk, or water.

Challenge

What will be your next green-light snack choice?

What You'll Need

Resources
Materials
  • Cones or Place Markers

Health Education Standards

  • Standard 1:Use functional health information to support health and well-being
  • Standard 7:Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being
  • Standard 8: Advocate to promote health and well-being for self and others

Social and Emotional Learning Competencies

  • Responsible Decision-Making

Physical Education Standards

  • Standard 1: Develops a variety of motor skills
  • Standard 3: Applies knowledge related to movement and fitness concepts
  • Standard 4: Develops social skills through movement

Extend the Lesson

Adaptations and Modifications

  • Show kids the nutrition label on actual food packages and drink containers t help them understand where to look for the added sugar amount. There are about 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon.
  • For 3-5 Learners: Use the fitClub Food Activity Cards for grades 4 and 5. These cards include healthy eating tips and nutrition information.
  • Encourage team discussions on strategies before each round, allowing them to plan how to defend and knock down pins effectively. 
  • Seated Exercise: Allow learners with limited mobility to guard their pins from a closer distance if needed.
  • Adapt locomotor skills and movement patterns to learners' needs, interests, and abilities. Read our full list of inclusive ideas for Adapting Games for Every Learner.
  • Sensory Modifications: Ask certain groups to walk from station to station to ensure no one feels rushed.
  • Use one of our short videos for your daily PE warmup or cooldown!

 

Take me to the full list of fitGames.

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