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Activities for Kids: Kindergarten - Grade 1

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If you are using Nüton's Food Explorers program, you are eligible to apply. If you want to become eligible, register for a free (virtual) teacher workshop or contact Amanda at amanda.hamel@dfc-plc.ca for more workshop options.

We have a limited number of grants, so apply before it's too late!

Register Now

Testimonials

  • Thank you so much for this grant and for making our nutrition unit to much more hands on and meaningful. I truly appreciate everything!
    – Grade 1 Teacher

  • The grade 1-2 students at Niakawa Place school enjoyed creating recipes and trying new foods! We used our Food Explorers Mini Food Grant to make smoothies and overnight oats. We investigated where different foods come and how food gets to the store. It was noticed just how important a farmer's job is and how without farmers we wouldn't have many of the foods, snacks and treats we like to enjoy. During our food exploration we also learned that different foods play different roles in keeping us healthy. Thank-you Nüton for providing us with an opportunity to create a memorable hands-on learning experience.

    – From the Grade 1-2 Crew at Niakawa Place

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Let Nüton help you cover the cost of ingredients or supplies for using the Food Explorers program in your classroom!*

Teachers who are using Nüton’s Food Explorers program can apply for a mini food grant each school year, valued at up to $200.

You must have attended a Nüton teacher workshop before a grant will be considered or awarded.

It's easy to apply! Using the form below, please tell us how you will use food exploration to enhance your nutrition education program. No need to reinvent the wheel; consult your program guide for ideas or tell us about your own plan. We want to know how you will get your students involved in the preparation and setting up a positive food and eating environment!

Unsure what to include in your application? We have an example below to help you out.

*Please note that this grant is modest and is intended for educational purposes. It is in no way intended for, or capable of, addressing food security concerns. The amount of food you make it NOT intended to feed the class a meal, rather a sampling of food.

Nutrition is a cross-curricular topic. Meet outcomes in many other subjects while teaching nutrition.
Contact us to learn more

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Food Explorers Mini Food Grant

    You must order your renewable classroom materials (i.e. stickers and recipe cards) for the current school year to be eligible for a grant. Your application may be considered ineligible if materials are not reordered by contacting us at nuton.mb@dfc-plc.ca We have a limited number of grants, so apply before it's too late! If the grant is awarded, you must use it by the end of the calendar year.
  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
    Please select the date. You must have attended a Nüton teacher workshop before a grant will be considered or awarded.
  • Re-order your renewable resources here!
  • After you submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Each application is reviewed individually. The review process can take up to two weeks from receipt of your application. If your application is approved, we will provide you with additional information on next steps. If your application is not approved, you will be informed of the reasons and you may apply again, subject to availability of the grant.

  • Here is an example of a mini food grant application:

    After providing an introduction and discussion surrounding each food, I plan to have the class prepare the following with my students: - taste a variety of apples - bake potatoes and make potato pancakes - do a bread tasting - discuss different types of pasta and make macaroni and cheese - talk about where milk comes from during my farm unit and make smoothies with fruit and milk - talk about different types of cheese and make quesadillas - make frittatas to enhance the egg lesson - cook a nice warm chili during the winter using ground beef, kidney beans, and chickpeas Students will be encouraged to help with food preparation. All of the students will be exposed to the foods in a positive environment. They will not be pressured to try anything, but will have the opportunity to taste or experience the foods through their senses. After the tasting, the students will reflect on their experience in the journal pages and the collector card will be sent home to support the parent/family connection.

Home Connections

Frequently Asked Questions:

Tips to build a successful application

Be sure to mention one or more of the following:

  • Use a neutral approach with food: There is a great deal of research to support using a neutral approach and exposure to food, rather than identifying foods as “good”, “bad” or “junk”. Food is one of the great pleasures in life and if we label foods, we may set the stage for unintended negative consequences.
  • Avoid using food as a reward: There is good evidence to show the benefit of avoiding the use of bribes to encourage good behaviour.
  • Offer opportunities to taste without pressure: When it comes to food in the classroom, it’s a good idea to allow all children an equal opportunity to taste, without pressure to have "just one bite." Let each child decide if he/she will taste a food or not.
  • Use commonly available foods: Exploring affordable and readily available foods further strengthens nutrition education. There are lots of recipes and ideas in the K1 manual that teachers have successfully introduced in the classroom.
  • Use age-appropriate activities: As with any other subject, using age-appropriate activities support behaviour change and life-long learning. The Food Explorers program provides K-1 children with hands-on experiences and pressure-free opportunities to taste a variety of foods. Experiential, hands-on learning is appropriate for this age. Content such as food classification and reading labels is important, but is best suited for older students.

Consult your teacher guide for more on the above principles and always feel free to get in touch with us at nuton.mb@dfc-plc.ca

Can the food be used to help feed hungry children at my school?

Unfortunately, this grant is modest and is intended for educational purposes. It is in no way intended for, or capable of, addressing food security concerns. You are never expected to feed your classroom an entire meal. Food experience and exposure to food, even in small amounts, is beneficial.