Here are some activities that encourage, “Eat Well, Play Well” by Carol Schnittjer, RD.

• Blow up a number of balloons in each of the following colors: yellow, green, blue and red.• Play music, and have the students bop the balloons back and forth to each other to keep them in the air.• Stop the music and have each student grab a balloon.• The teacher can point to a student and have him name a food from the food group that is represented by the color of balloon he is holding. For example: yellow is grain products; green is fruits and vegetables; blue is dairy products; red is meat and protein.Editor’s Note: You could also represent the 5 colors of produce with the balloons! Here is her second idea:• In the school gym, place pictures of many different foods in a pile in the middle of the floor.• In each corner of the room, place a different color to represent the 4 food groups: yellow for grain products; green for vegetables and fruit; blue for milk products; red for meat and alternatives.• Have the students run to the middle of the gym, choose a food picture and run to the corner with the correct food group color.• Have the students continue to run to the food pictures and place them in the appropriate corners until all are used.• At the end, go to each corner with all the students to see if the foods have been put into the right food groups, and if not, have them identify the correct one.