Teaching Kids to Eat Better with Eatwell Bingo

<strong>Teaching Kids to Eat Better with Eatwell Bingo</strong> 1

When it comes to making sure our kids eat what’s good for them, all moms know that it can be a struggle. Don’t worry, as this struggle is universal, because as it turns out, growing kids are hardwired to prefer sweets and empty calories. According to a study discussed by the NPR, kids’ sweet teeth might be heightened during growth spurts, with kids who preferred sweet drinks over salty ones being tall for their age. Of course, this is no excuse for parents to just give in to their kids’ cravings for sweets – it’s just another reason for us to get creative in ensuring that they get all the vitamins and minerals they need.eatwell

The easiest way to get kids to eat right, of course, is to help them understand why eating right is necessary, and when it comes to boring topics like health and wellness, parents should best turn to a medium they know their kids will love: games. We’re not talking about full-blown gamification either, even though Educator Online makes a great point for why it’s a viable option. It just so happens that turning concepts into games and using game mechanics in teaching can be a very difficult thing to do when you’re inexperienced. Luckily, there is no such problem when it comes to teaching kids to eat better, as the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has created a simple game that helps educate about the food groups: Eatwell Bingo.

Bingo is a big phenomenon in the UK, where the market is worth upwards of $557 million. As a matter of fact, just recently, Gala Bingo, an operator of both land-based and online bingo games, sold most of its bingo halls for $366 million. It comes as no surprise then, that the FSA used this popular game to help educate people on the redesigned Eatwell Plate – an update of the food pyramid that many of us grew up on. How is the game played? You simply print out the Eatwell Bingo cards prepared by the FSA, as well as the bingo call cards. The game is played in pretty much the same way as traditional bingo, where the bingo caller draws call cards and the players need to mark off their bingo cards if they have the number being called out. The twist is that instead of numbers, the bingo cards and call cards will have names of food, and some call cards will have added information about the food items.

As the bingo caller draws call cards, the whole group discusses the food item, where it falls in the Eatwell Plate, and how much of this particular item should be consumed in a day. It’s a great way to begin discussing about the proper portion of food, and a fun way to help kids familiarize themselves with the different food groups.

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