My Food - Nutrition for Kids
Cheerful resource serves up valuable health lessons.
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My Food - Nutrition for Kids
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that This is my Food – Nutrition For Kids is an interactive health resource for early elementary school-age kids. In this well-designed tool, kids can freely explore interactive graphics such as plates of food, a nutrition wheel, and a sandwich builder to learn about food and nutrition. Kids will be empowered as they gain knowledge of how to eat a well-balanced meal and why this is important. Note that, in the explanation of digestion, a colon releases its contents into a toilet with a farting sound and the narrator uses the word "poop," which will delight kids but could be distracting for some. The app supports 10 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Swedish, and Simplified Chinese.
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What’s It About?
THIS IS MY FOOD - NUTRITION FOR KIDS encourages kids to learn through exploration and free play. There are six main sections that display along the left side of the screen: Pick a Friend, My Dishes, My Garden, My Favorite, My Top 5, and Nutrition. Kids start by picking an avatar or "friend" and can select to be a vegetarian. In My Dishes, kids are given a plate of food and can tap to learn more about each item on the plate -- why it's healthy to eat, how it grows, or how it's made. Kids also can swipe to change the food on the plate. My Garden lets kids learn how to plant an herb garden, and they can take pictures and record audio to document the growth of their own herbs. Kids can build their own "perfect sandwich" in My Favorite and print out a list of the ingredients they used. After selecting foods they've tried in My Top 5, kids can show how often they've eaten certain foods and rate them. Finally, in Nutrition, kids learn more about why we eat, the digestive process, and how foods are classified.
Is It Any Good?
Healthy eating and food types are the focus of this fun resource. The friendly narration helps kids build science vocabulary, and the interactive graphics will keep them engaged. One of the most interesting features is the ability to record photographs and audio of herb growth. This is a fundamental practice in science and a great way to spark curiosity. Unusual dietary choices -- such as veganism -- feature within the content and through a setting that lets a kid identify as vegetarian. Some opportunities to complete more concrete tasks could boost the app's learning potential, and a few navigational hints would ensure that kids don't miss any features; for example, an arrow to show that a swipe can change the plate's contents, hints to arrange the cheese flags, and a visual cue to show where the star-earning activities are would help kids along. Also, a few of the food terms have regional names, such as "pulses" for "legumes" and "fish fingers" for "fish sticks," which may confuse some kids. Aside from some very minor flaws, it's an excellent way to introduce important health topics to younger audiences.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the meals they eat each day. Are they well-balanced? How might the meals be improved?
Show kids pictures of different foods, or take a trip to the grocery store and have them classify the foods as carbohydrates, proteins, or fats. Discuss the health benefits of each type of food.
Download the handbook and complete the activities together.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Subjects: Science: biology, Hobbies: gardening
- Skills: Thinking & Reasoning: applying information, collecting data, Health & Fitness: balanced diet
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Release date: July 15, 2015
- Category: Education
- Publisher: urbn; pockets
- Version: 1.1.2
- Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated: December 1, 2021
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