Lunch box ninja

What you will need

• Various objects to create obstacles (e.g. cones, hoops)
• One bib per student (one colour per team)

Note for game facilitator

Here are some ideas for the obstacle course: running around cones, jumping from one hoop to the next, running backwards, doing leapfrogs, etc.

The lunch must include a variety of food (e.g. vegetables, fruit, dairy products, grain products, legumes, eggs, tofu, meat).

How to play

• During the warm-up, explain to students what a balanced lunch looks like, and where some of the food in it comes from. If possible, show them pictures from the carousel below (lunch box ideas and where the food comes from).
• Before the game starts, show the obstacle course to the kids and demonstrate what to do.
• Divide the group into two teams. Assign each student a number between 1 and 10 (or according to however many kids are on each team). The students from each team then have to line up in single file, in numerical order behind the starting line.
• When you give the signal, player 1 from each team springs into action and goes through the obstacle course as fast as possible. When the player reaches the other side, they need to come back the same way through the course and join their team at the starting line.
• Player 1 then names a drink or nutritious food that could be included in a lunch box. Player 2 quickly shouts out where the food comes from and can then start the obstacle course, and so on.
• When a player finishes the obstacle course, they go to the end of the line for their team and sit down.
• The team that finishes the obstacle course first (all players) wins the game.

Cool down

• Each team reflects on its strengths and weaknesses. They try to figure out how to overcome their weaknesses.
• Bring the conversation back to the following questions:
  1. Why is it important to eat a nutritious and balanced lunch?
     • Possible answers: So you can fill up on energy; so that it's easier to pay attention and stay focused at school; so you can take a break and have fun with your friends; so you have enough energy to do things in the afternoon.
  2. What nutritious foods do you like to eat for lunch?
     • Possible answers: sandwich (e.g. whole grain bread with eggs, chicken or tuna; salad (e.g. pasta, rice or couscous with a hard-boiled egg or chick peas), leftovers (e.g. spaghetti, Sheppard’s pie, chili); raw veggies; fruit; milk; yogurt; cheese

To find out what the Learning Goals, Educational Aim and Focus of Development of this resource are, visit the Let's Talk About Lunch Box program page.

Our personal suggestions

Help kids develop healthy eating habits by exposing them to positive experiences. This means saying positive things about food and focusing on nutritious foods. When you talk about food that is less nutritious, avoid putting negative labels on it (e.g. junk food).

Suggest to kids that they help make their lunch. Lunch is even better when you've made it yourself! For more tips and tricks, you can tell them to visit cuisinonsenfamille.ca with their parents!