A healthy diet is particularly important for the developing body. Too many children in Western civilisation are overweight and suffer from vitamin deficiencies. It is up to parents to learn to eat healthily together with their children, preferably in a way that children understand and enjoy.

 

Activities and games for nutrition and health awareness

Food diary
Together with the children, you can keep a diary of what the child has eaten each day. Then go through the list together and explain to the child which food is good for the body and which is less good. The children get a star for each "good" food. Extra stars are awarded if the children draw a picture of each food next to it. At the end of the week, the children receive small rewards, the more stars they have, the bigger the reward.

Grow your own vegetables
If you have a small garden or balcony, you should give the children the opportunity to plant their own vegetables. They water them themselves and can harvest and eat them. This teaches children a lot about different types of vegetables. The more fun a child has with something, the more motivated they will be.

Food tasting
At the main meal, children are given a selection of different, healthy snacks. In this way, they get to know the different flavours and can decide what they like. Parents get to know their children's likes and dislikes and can organise their meals to suit their children's tastes in future.

It is important that children learn early on what influence healthy food has on growth and bodily functions. Whatever the child eats, you can explain to them what it means for the body. The child tries to memorise what it feels in its body. After a hamburger, for example, they will probably feel sluggish, whereas a wholemeal sandwich with lettuce will give them energy.

Movement games
In addition to nutrition, sufficient exercise is of course important. You can set up an obstacle course with simple household objects and organise a sporting competition. The course can consist of obstacles to jump over or climb, slalom runs or rope pulling. A foam ball can be used for long throws; or the aim is to hit a certain object with the ball. In between, there are snacks on fruit and plenty of water to drink.

Many children also enjoy a combination of video games and exercise. Dance games or fitness games, which are available for various game consoles, can be great fun for children.