Submitted by: Elise Murphy, 2026 HPEC Grant Recipient
If you teach elementary PE, you know the struggle of teaching Wellness Outcomes while also getting students their mandated physical activity. I’ve curated a list of activities we do in PEW for either warm ups, or main activities, specifically covering some Healthy Eating outcomes while also Active Living outcomes!
Lesson 1 - Fill Your Plate! (Geared towards grade 2-4)
Materials:
- Frisbees (1 per student or per pair)
- Printouts of different food options (make your own or order from https://prairies.
teachnutrition.ca/en/material- and-resources/products/food- picture-kit-order-here/) I usually make my own to include options from their diet already (hot dogs, KD, chicken nuggets, tacos, etc.)
Give the students a review of food guidelines (which provide information on the variety of foods the body needs - PEW 2)
Print a poster or draw a plate, and include a variety of options for sources of vegetables & fruits, protein foods and whole grain foods. Have a class discussion and include for students to enjoy their food, cook more often, eat with others and practice moderation with some.
The students will examine personal food preferences and explore other foods. Start with students on the border of the gym, with the food cards in the middle of the gym, spread out, upside down. Each pair or group of three has their own “plate”. On go, the students will grab a new card (they have to keep what they pick up, no trades yet), and bring it back to their plate. The team has to work relay style, and once they have a plate that meets the food guidelines, they can raise their hands and call their teacher over to check it. This always lends to excellent conversation on trying new foods, preferences and how some houses eat different foods than yours.
Examples of cues:
Create a meal with at least 3 different colours.
Create a meal for after your sport or dance practice (protein & carb rich). PEW
Create a meal for breakfast.
Create a meal with 1 food you’ve never eaten before.
Wrap up: How do you feel when you eat what’s on your plate? What does your plate look like when your family is celebrating something special (traditions). What foods were missing from the food cards?
Warm up: Allergy Tag!
Grade 2
Intro:
Food allergies are when one’s body reacts unusually to food! Allergic reactions to food can range from mild to severe, including anaphylactic shock. (PEW 2)
Identify common allergens AND examine food preferences (just because you don’t like something, doesn’t mean you’re allergic to it). (PEW 2)
Activity: Choose a few students to be “it” using a pool noodle or ball to tag, and explain that they are carrying a lunch with an allergen. If you get tagged by the allergen, you have an allergic reaction (pretend to sneeze, feel itchy, get hives, difficulty breathing, etc.). Then add a handful of students who are either Epi-pens, or a nurse/ambulance. These students (with a hula hoop), need to observe and help those having allergic reactions. They do this by placing the hoop around their classmates. The student who was tagged, and saved, becomes the new “saver”!
Wrap up by explaining that some students have these allergies and we need to be careful with what we pack in our lunches and save allergens for at home. Lastly, explain what to do if an allergic reaction happens to someone in our class or in our homes.
Warm up: Food Card Heads up!
Grade 3
Resources:
If you’ve never checked it out, TeachNutrition.ca has a plethora of excellent, curriculum linked, FREE resources including food bingo (https://prairies.
Review with students the characteristics of foods and how cooking, storing, freezing, drying, can affect this. Then, play “Heads up”, using food cards in groups of 2-4 (on teams or not). Place the cards on one side of your gym space (or the middle), and the teams will stand on the other side (or in the middle).
Ex. I’m holding a card (I can’t see it) and my team has to describe the food to me, how it’s eaten, texture, taste, when it’s raw/cooked. If I guess it, we keep the card, and my teammate runs/walks/skips/etc. to get a new card. Within 4 minutes, how many can your team guess!
I would include these class discussions and activities in our grading, as a completion and on their way out the door, ask them a simple question such as “Tell me a common allergen on your way out the door” OR “Tell me about a new food you’re going to try soon”!
Hopefully these activities work for your students and spaces and Healthy Eating outcomes seem more achievable!
