Kindergarten "Super Food" Super Heroes

The kindergarten students have warmly embraced our emergent study of nutrition and healthy foods. Conversations around lunches and snacks have added to deeper discussions about favorite foods and have asked if we can cook, bake, and make smoothies! The budding nutritionists have raised questions about "super foods," and why some foods are "sometimes" foods and others are "a lot" foods. With Halloween around the corner, the kindergartners have been excited to develop and design costumes that reflect their growing interest in powerful foods that fuel and strengthen growing bodies. Using a variety of literacy, math, fine motor, and creativity and problem solving skills, the kindergartners have begun to create "Super Food" Super hero costumes, complete with capes and masks.

Kid writing about "Super Food" Super Hero costumes

First, the kindergartners used their creativity and problem solving skills to imagine and develop a super hero using their knowledge of powerful foods and also, often, a favorite healthy food. Next, the students, practiced their kid writing skills as they named the super hero and drew a plan for the costume. Excitement was evident everywhere as the students really began to think through the materials they would need and the colors they would want for a cape and a super food logo design.

Bear Witness helps "Speedy Blueberry Boy"
to arrange blueberries on his new super hero cape

"Green Bean Flyer" measures green beans for his special cape

"Kitty Carrot" traces triangle carrots for her super hero cape

Math skills were naturally integrated into  the costume creations as students used uni-fix cubes and rulers to measure materials and to help estimate the size of the super food logo to create and attach to colorful capes. The designers also scoured the classroom for shapes to trace and other tools from around the classroom to help to make their super food logos. Estimating and counting skills were also practiced as the designers predicted how many pieces of food they would use on their costumes and then counted how many they actually did use. Other creators used patterns to create their ultimate logo design.

Fine motor skills were also developed and strengthened throughout this project as students were tracing, drawing, gluing, and cutting through paper, foam and felt. 

"Berry Bunny" and "Milk Super Girl" share stories about their super powers

Listening and speaking skills were also utilized as each student has had numerous opportunities to describe the powers of the special super heroes to peers. These vivid discussions have been animated and have helped friends to practice being active listeners as well as work on the beginning, middle and ending of stories as a speaker and story teller. Our kindergarten imaginations are full and they are passionate and love to share their ideas. There has been some talk of wanting to write stories about the newly created "Super Food" Super Heroes. Stay tuned for possible future publications!

   

"Macaroni and Cheese Man"
counting noodles

"Apple Man" adds some
leaves to his healthy, fresh apples

We will not share too many photos for the students want to surprise you with their creative and colorful "Super Food" Super Hero Costumes at next week's annual AFS Halloween Parade. See you there!