Crayola Creativity Central - Early Childhood Creative Experiences

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Find out about the USDA Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children at www.usda.gov/cnpp/KidsPyra. Tips for Using the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children 2 to 6 Years Old is filled with practical ideas.

Discuss and try nutritious foods. Current recommended daily servings are: 6 grain; 3 vegetables; 2 each of milk, fruit, and meat; few fats and sweets. See Food Pyramids.

Children ages 3 and younger require close adult supervision during art and food preparation projects to ensure their safety. They tear food pictures from magazines.

1. Look for pictures of healthy foods in recycled magazines. With Crayola® Scissors (age 4 and older), cut out the pictures. Younger children tear out the pictures.

2. Write your name on the back of a paper plate with Crayola® Washable Markers.

3. Choose a healthy lunch from your pictures. Check with an adult to make sure your choices are balanced. Attach pictures to the paper plate with Crayola® Glue Sticks.

Prepare 5 plates with a whole day’s selections (including snacks). Math and planning skills are essential. Older children draw foods.

Invite a child-friendly nutritionist to demonstrate how to choose healthy foods. Fix a healthy snack (see Recycled Carrots and Edible Alphabet).

Encourage pretend play with models of healthy ethnic foods (ask families for ideas). Older children make these with Crayola® Model Magic®.

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.

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