Teaching kids about balancing calories and physical activity- Facts, games and resources

Fun online nutrition tools and games for children -featured topic: Calories

What are Calories | Helpful Resources | Teaching About Calories |  Activities for at Home | Calories Game Screenshots

Being Active and Calories is one of the nutrition topics in our featured game 'Chef Solus and the Food Pyramid Adventure'. While playing this level, the character travels through the 'Calories and Activity section' of the pyramid while learning about the importance of the being active and burning calories (energy), how to create a balanced meal, select a healthy snack and maneuver through the game using basic keyboard and mouse skills.

Your child will learn these important facts about physical activity and food calories

★ "Calories" is a term used to describe the energy content of foods. Our  bodies require a constant production of energy to help us walk, talk and play. The energy comes from the food we eat.

★ If too many calories are consumed, and not used to produce energy, they are converted into fat, which is stored in the body.

★ Eat many different foods from all the food groups every day.

★ Physical activity burns calories, strengthens muscles and helps maintain a healthy weight. Balance your food intake with your physical activity.

★ Physical activity is good for the entire body. The goal is to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day!

Children guide their character through the food pyramid and learn to balance calories (energy-food intake) and physical activity. For example, eating a healthy snack will give the character enough energy to run, jump and navigate through the fun landscape. The energy bar on the game shows when the character eats healthy food they have more energy to play the game. Kids have fun in the hidden passageways, mazes, doing mini puzzles, learning healthy facts as they begin a solid foundation of early healthy habits. It's free and fun! Available in English or Spanish

More about Chef Solus Food Pyramid Adventure Game: What your child will learn |  Sign up- it's free | Play demo game

Helpful Resources for Teaching your Child about Calories

Nutrition Dictionary an online game/learning tool that teaches vocabulary and gives children nutrition facts.

Ride the Food Label Game teaches kids how to read nutrition facts such as, calories and servings size on food labels.

What is a Calorie? written for kids- from our friends at Whyzz, Whyzz Parents Raise Wise Kids!

Learn about Calories written for parents- by a Registered Dietitian at SuperKidsNutrition!

Tools for Teaching Children About Calories

PDF Guides for level 7 The Activity and Calories Section of Chef Solus and the Food Pyramid Adventure Game

Level 7- Teaching Guide - Activity and Calories Describes the nutrition concepts and learning objectives.

Level 7- Handout for Parents Describes what your child has learned about physical activity and calories and supplemental 'hands on' activities to reinforce the concepts at home.

Parents and teachers can sign up for a free membership and receive progress reports that show what the child has learned, which facts from each level of the game, and areas the child may need more work on. Plus, a handout with fun food or physical activities activities to do with kids to reinforce what they learn.  *A printable award for each level can also be printed out.

For Parents- Activities to Try at Home Parents can play our games with their child or let them login with their own user name and password. Parents are able to track their child's progress via their parents' administration account.

Children will understand more about the importance nutrition and develop healthy habits when the topics learned online are reinforced at home. Parents and children can work as team by: discussing the facts, positive encouragement, role modeling, friendly reminders, and 'hands on' activities that parents can share with their child. To meet these goals, we provide handouts for parents with ideas of activities and tips to bring the nutrition concepts into their child's daily life, for each section of the Food Pyramid/ level of the game.

Level 7- Activity and Calories Parent's PDF Handout Sample of tips and activities to try at home

Dear Parents,

Congratulations! Your child has just completed the Activity Level of the Chef Solus and the Food Pyramid Adventure.

You are your child's most important role model, and your help is needed to continue to help them be successful. Therefore, we have created  fun and informative activities that you and your child can do together.

★ Make a list of all the physical activities you like to do. Add to that list throughout the month. Try to be physically active most days this month!

★ Search through the kitchen and find 4 boxes, bags, or cans of healthy foods and look at the Nutrition Facts label. Just below the serving size is the number of calories per serving. Which foods have the most calories per serving? Which foods have the least?

★ Go on a walk with your family after dinner.

Game screenshots

Our featured game Chef Solus and the Food Pyramid Adventure brings the USDA Food Pyramid to life with 7 levels of playing and learning. Children learn about the food groups, eating healthy balanced meals and the importance of being physically active! We hope you visit us soon!