nutrition activity book

HAVE FUN WITH
HEALTHY LIVING
ACTIVITY BOOK

MY SERVICE PROJECT WITH LOVE
TO FAMILIES FORWARD

Prepared b0y Julia Valenzuela



Families today are busier than ever.
We are in a world where every aspect
of our day is filled with activities.
Planning meals and scheduling
exercise takes a back seat to our busy
and fast paced lives especially with
young children. So I came up with this
project about how to have fun with
kids and incorporate a healthy
lifestyle into our busy lives.

Families Forward gave me an
opportunity to work with children and
find creative ideas for children to
understand and have fun on how to
have a sensible, healthy lifestyle.

The activities in this book will work in
the class room or at home. The
important theme of this project is to
establish a foundation for children to
learn about fun nutrition, be active
and have a balance life.

My name is Julia Valenzuela. I am a
high school senior class of 2020, Girl
Scout, student-athlete and
community volunteer.

As a young child, I was challenged
with my weight. While I was very
active, going from school to the many
afterschool activities, snacks and
quick eats were the easiest and most
convenient.

Most of my snacks were pre-
packaged or from the local park snack
bar. Being on the go, meals came
from a drive thru although I tried to
make healthy choices.

Being an athlete and on the field
every weekend, I realized that snack
bar food was not sustainable for me
to play 3 games in one day. Amongst
other factors in my life, I decided to
make a lifestyle change. With food
and snack preparation, plenty of
sleep, and lots of water (my beverage
of choice), I’m a different person with
more energy and I feel great.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LESSON PLANS….PAGE 1
GAMES….PAGE 3

JUMP ROPE SONGS….PAGE 13
COLORING & SHORT STORIES….PAGE 21

MEMORY GAMES…PAGE 34
MEDITATION & YOGA FOR KIDS….PAGE 43

NO-COOK HEALTHY SNACKS….PAGE 50



LESSON PLANS

LESSON 1 – TAKE CARE OF OUR BODY AND HEALTH
Objective: To teach children the importance of taking care of our bodies.
Discussion: Let the children answer these questions.
1. What does our body need? (food, exercise, rest, water….)
2. How can we keep our bodies healthy? (eat healthy, sleep, brush your teeth, take baths, wash
your hands, exercise….) Why is each important?
3. What types of food help keep our bodies healthy?
4. What types of food are bad for our bodies?
5. Are sweet foods, sweet snacks, and sweets drinks good for us? Why or Why Not?
6. Have the children identify healthy snacks and unhealthy snacks? Healthy drinks and unhealthy
drinks.
Activity 1: Have children do a self-portrait (drawing of their face) and draw their favorite food or
snacks to eat around their face. Need coloring pencils, colored markers, or crayons and white
piece of paper for each child. Hang in the class room.
Activity 2: Go to the Coloring section and copy pictures for children to color.

LESSON 2 – THE RAINBOW OF FOODS
Objective: To teach children that healthy food is natural in color anything artificially colored may
not be healthy.
Discussion: Discuss the difference between the natural colors of food and the unnatural colors of
food
1. What are the different colors of healthy foods and snacks?
Activity 1:
1. List the different colors on the chalk board (red, white, blue, yellow, green, purple, orange).
2. Have the children name foods, snacks and drinks to match the color. Write everything they
say, even if unhealthy. List at least 10 for each color.
3. Discuss each list and go over what is natural and not. What is healthy and not?
Activity 2: Play memory game with the fruit and vegetable cards I have included.
Activity 3: Go to my No Cook Healthy Snacks section. This activity is for snack time. You will need
to purchase recipe items to do this yummy activity.

1

LESSON 3 – THE IMPORTANCE OF EXCERCISE
Objective: To teach children the importance of exercise through movement/activity and how it
helps our body.
Discussion:
1. Ask children what types of movements and activity do they do every day? List them on the
board.
2. Is the movement or activity considered exercise? Why or Why not?
3. Is bending and stretching considered exercise? Why or Why not?
4. What’s their favorite sport? How many children play sports? List their sports.
5. Let children know that they don’t have to play sports to get exercise. (see my fun game ideas)
6. Encourage children to try different sports. It’s a fun way to exercise, be active, and meet new
friends.
Activity 1: See my Coloring section with different sports. Children can color their favorite sport.
Activity 2: See my Games section – it’s full of active games. Take note on which games children
like.
Activity 3: See my Jump Rope Song section – what a great exercise. Single jump rope is great or a
long jump rope for three.
Activity 4: See my Yoga section for children – great way to relax and stretch.

LESSON 4 – THE IMPORTANCE OF REST AND SLEEP
Objective: To teach children the importance of rest and sleep, how it helps our body and how to
practice relaxing our body.
Discussion:
1. Ask children why sleep is important? It’s important for your brain and why? It’s important for
your body and why? Ask children how they feel when they do not get enough sleep? Ask if
they know any animal that does not sleep so they understand the importance of sleep.
2. Ask children how do they relax? When do they feel relaxed? How does it make them feel? List
on the board. (Have children share)
3. Discuss the meaning of deep relaxation and the connection with rest and mindfulness.
4. Discuss the meaning of mindfulness. It’s a state of being in the present; to be aware of their
feelings, emotions, surroundings and decisions. Ask for examples
Activity 1: Stillness Challenge – What you need is calming music and a timer. Have children find a
comfortable spot, sit criss cross applesauce, back straight and eyes closed. Start with two
minutes, and have them sit in stillness with slow breathing. With each breath, image the air going
in and going out.
Activity 2: See my Meditation section for more fun mediation activities.

2

Incorporating “fun” into
Healthy Living is important
for the young child.
Games can be a fun way to
exercise and stretch.
You can incorporate
breathing techniques to let
the child start their day
with quietness and positive
thoughts.
You can do the same at the
end of the day to reinforce
special thoughts, acts of
kindness and gratitude.
These are some of my
favorite games and
activities. Enjoy!

3

1) Choose a leader
2) Leader tells friends “Simon says …”
3) Everybody does what Simon says
4) If leader does not say “Simon says”. Don’t do it!
5) Don’t let the leader fool you
6) This can be a fun way to stretch and exercise.

Simon says… Simon says, “jump”!
Touch your toes Choose an action that incorporates
Jump some type of exercise.
Spin
Run in place
Karate chop
Dance

4

1) Tag is fun outdoors in a large area with established boundaries.
2) Must have at least 5 participants.
3) One participant has to be “IT”.
4) Choose who is “IT” first.
5) This is the person who chases you.
6) If “IT” tags you, then you are “IT”.
7) Only one person is IT at a time.

5

1) Tag is fun outdoors in a large area with established boundaries.
2) Must have at least 5 participants.
3) One participant has to be “IT”. Choose who “IT” is.
4) The person who is “IT”, begins to walk around the circle.
5) “IT” taps every one’s head saying “duck”, “duck”, “duck” to each.
6) Until, “IT” says taps you “goose,” that person gets up and try’s to tag

“IT” running around the circle.
7) The goal for “IT is runt to sit in goose’s spot before goose can tag “IT”.
8) Goose is “IT” next.

6

1) Hide and Seek is fun both indoors and outdoors with established
boundaries.

2) Must have at least 5 participants.
3) One participant has to be “IT”. Choose who “IT” is.
4) The person who is “IT”, closes their eyes and sings

“Apple, Peaches, Pumpkin and Pie, whoever is not ready say
“Butterfly”! Continue on singing until you hear no one say “Butterfly
5) Everyone else runs and hides.
6) “IT” will continue to sing until all is quiet.
7) Or you can count (20-40 seconds) while everyone hides
8) And say, “ready or not, here I come”.

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What you need
1) music
2) small beanbag or stuffed sack

Activity
1) Arrange the children sitting in a circle.
2) Pass a beanbag around the circle to music, pretending
that the beanbag is a very, very, very hot potato.
3) When the music stops, the person holding the beanbag
is out.
4) The music starts again and the remaining children
continue passing the hot potato until the music stops.
5) The last person in the circle is the winner.

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What you need:

1. An 8 feet by 3 feet area to make a hopscotch
pattern.

2. Chalk or masking tape to draw or make a hopscotch
pattern on the floor.

3. Each player must have a marker such as a stone,
bottlecap, jack, botton, lego or any other small item
that is distinct.

4. For younger children, no need for markers. Hopping
across the single versus double squares can provide
hours of fun.

Directions:

1. The first player stands behind the starting line to toss his or her marker
in square “1”.

2. Hop over square “1” to square “2” and continue hopping to square “10”,
turn around, and hop back again.

3. Stop in square “2” to pick up you marker, hop in square “1”, and out.
4. Then continue by tossing the stone in square “2” and so forth. Repeat
5. All hopping is done on one foot unless the hopscotch design is such that

two squares are side-by-side.
6. Then two feet can be placed down with one in each square.
7. A player must always hop over any square where a maker has been placed.
8. Getting out: A player is out if the marker fails to land in the proper

square, the hopper steps on a line, the hopper loses balance when bending
over to pick up the marker and puts a second hand or foot down, the
hopper goes into a square where a marker is, or if a player puts two feet
down in a single box.
9. The player puts the marker in the square where he or she will resume
playing on the next turn, and the next player begins.

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What you need
1. A long stick
2. 3 or more participants

Activity
1. Two people hold either end of a stick at chest height.
2. They should hold the stick in cupped hands, so that it will fall
easily if touched.
3. The children take turns going under the stick without touching
the stick, bending their knees and leaning as far back as
necessary.
4. No hands may touch the floor.
5. This will be easy at first but with each round the stick gets
lower.
6. Anyone who falls or touches the ground with their hands is out.

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The simple rules:
1. At least three people must play
2. One player stands in the middle while the two others throw

the ball back and forth to each other.
3. Middle player, “the Monkey”, tries to intercept the ball.
4. If the player throws bad and “Monkey” gets ball, that

player switches with “Monkey”.
5. Rule Variations: If “Monkey” touches ball before it gets to

the person receiving, the one who threw the ball is the new
“Monkey”. If person catches ball and drops ball, that
person becomes the “Monkey”.
6. Other Variations: Use bean bag, small ball, shoe,

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What you need:

1. One long jump rope and three people to play
2. Or one person can jump with shorter jump rope.

“7 up, 7 up, count to 11 up
1 2 3, 4 5 6, 7 8 9 10 11
6 up, 6 up, do the splits up

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
5 up, 5 up, touch the side up

1, 2, 3, 4, 5
4 up, 4 up, touch the floor up

1, 2, 3, 4
3 up, 3 up, touch your knee up

1, 2, 3
2 up, 2 up, touch your shoe up

1, 2
1 up, 1 up, you're all done up”

14

“Cinderella, dressed in
yellow

Went upstairs to kiss a
'fella

Made a mistake
And kissed a snake
How many doctors

Did it take?”

15

Birdie, birdie in the sky,
Why'd ya do that in my

eye?
Birdie, birdie in the sky,
Gee, I'm glad that cows

don't fly.

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A, B, C and vegetable
goop.

What will I find in my
alphabet soup?
A, B, C. . . . . . . .

(When you miss, make up
something that starts

with the letter you missed
on.)

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Bubble gum, bubble gum,
chew and blow,

Bubble gum, bubble gum,
scrape your toe,

Bubble gum, bubble gum,
tastes so sweet,

Get that bubble gum off
your feet!

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Cookies, candy in the
dish;

How many pieces do you
wish?

1, 2, 3, 4, . . . . .

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Ants are Amazing!

Ants are amazing insects. Have you ever seen ants at
work? Ants have incredible abilities and great work ethic.
One day on my Grandma’s front porch, I watched some
little scout ants busily on a mission. Each ant circling in
chaos in search of food. I knew they wouldn’t find
anything in Grandma’s house. You see, my Grandma
hates those pesky little insects. My Grandma is so
fanatic about ants getting in her kitchen. To get rid of the
ants is such a drag. Did I mention, everything is in a zip
lock bag. Grandma knows that ants are hardworking as
they work all day and my Grandma will do whatever it
takes to keep them away.
So a few hours later on the porch that day, there they
were, a fleet of ants, marching in an orderly fashion way.
From chaos, to team work, I wonder what was found. I
followed the trail which must have been a mile for an ant
on the ground. Oops! There it was from the night
before, my half-eaten chicken drum stick by the door.
Thank goodness it was outside on the floor. Because
Grandma does not like ants in her kitchen or even by the
door. Sorry Grandma, ants are amazing. There is nothing
you can do for they will find a way not to stay away.

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Basketball Is a Great Sport

Basketball is a great sport. Do you know why my
friend? You can play with 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10.
What other sport can you do this you see? I can
even play with just me.
You don’t need a basketball and a hoop to play.
On a rainy day, you can crumble a piece paper and
through in a trash can from far away.
It doesn’t matter, if your fast, or small, can you
throw a basketball or a ball of trash?
We love our team, whether they are far or near.
We will still wear our beloved team gear.
Let’s play one on one. You and me because half
court is just as fun, won’t you agree?

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My Brother the Chef

Once upon a time, there was a family of four. Dad
worked in the evenings and mom was a coach
that all adore.
At one time, our favorite friends were Jack,
McDonald, Wendy and Mrs Marie Calendar and
not necessarily in this order.
You see, it was the yummy hamburgers, French
fries and my favorite mac and cheese that my
brother and I would answer, “Yes please.”
So one summer, my brother took a cooking class.
He learned how to make delicious pizza with
healthy toppings of sorts. His specialties are
cooked with spice of imports.
Food from home is now much tastier. From
colorful vegetables to fresh meats, these are
much healthier treats to eat.
From Italian to Mexican, my brother’s dishes are
so healthy and delicious. His vegetable stir fry is a
must try.
So good bye my friends. It’s no more Mac and
Cheese for me you see. My Brother is a Chef and
is my favorite best friend.

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These activities are the best and have many
benefits. There is no competition. It’s
relaxing and fun. Mediation and Yoga
helps reduce stress. Through breathing,
relaxes the mind and body. It exposes
children to mindfulness and quietness. I
like to do this before I start my day and
before I go to bed.
When practicing yoga with kids, it’s
important to discuss safety and to listen to
their body. If something hurts, stop doing
it. Encourage children to relax and use their
imaginations when trying new positions.

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What you need:

1. Space. You can sit in a circle or rows. Out
side or inside.

2. Shoes off.

Yoga for Kids:

Pretend to be a Big Solid Rock
Child’s Pose: Begin on
your hands and knees with
your toes pointed back
and touching. Sit back on
the heels of your feet,
then come forward,
resting your forehead on
the ground. Place your
hands with your feet and
relax. Pretend you are a
solid rock in the desert or
your yard.

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