Nutrition Needs Fun Food Activities for Children

Milk and Dairy Foods Purpose

• To help children learn that cows produce milk

• To help children learn how milk is made into yogurt and cheese

• To help children learn

milk, yogurt, and cheese help make bones and teeth strong

• To help children experience the taste and texture differences of yogurt, cottage cheese, and hard cheese

• To reinforce ideas of being clean and careful when preparing food Snack Note

This activity may qualify for a Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) reimbursable snack. Check with your sponsor or state agency for guidelines. The total amount of yogurt and cheese served to each child needs to equal 1/2 ounce equivalent of meat/meat alternate and needs to be paired with a serving of another component food group (fruit suggested). The supplies listed for this activity are for

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Nutrition Needs Fun Food Activities for Children Milk and Dairy Foods the yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheese portions of the snack only. The suggested portions per child are 2 tablespoons yogurt, 2 tablespoons cottage cheese, and 1/4 ounce Monterey Jack cheese. See the serving suggestion at the end of the activity for additional ideas.

Supplies Needed

Supplies listed are for one child. Make sure to have enough supplies for each child. Food

• Milk, in a carton or pitcher • 2 tablespoons of yogurt, lowfat plain or vanilla

• 2 tablespoons of lowfat cottage cheese • Monterey Jack Cheese, cubed or sliced into 1/4 ounce pieces

Equipment

• 1 clear glass, 8 ounces • 2 large serving spoons • 2 clear serving bowls • Plate for cheese cubes • 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) measure • Small plates • Spoons

Yogurt

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Nutrition Needs Fun Food Activities for Children Milk and Dairy Foods What to Do Ahead of Time

Set up the activity at a child-size counter or table where the children can see the foods easily. Choose a book about milk to read to the children before this activity. See the suggested reading list for ideas.

Activity

Tell the children that today they will learn about milk and foods made from milk. When they are finished, they will eat a snack of different foods made from milk. Remind the children that we are clean and careful when we work with food. Have children wash their hands before the activity. Tip: Sing the verse about washing hands before helping with the meal from CARE Connection Food Safety children’s activity on hand washing (Every Day We Wash Our Hands). Remind the children that each has washed his or her hands and to please keep their hands clean. Tell them not to touch their nose, mouth, face, neighbor, or other objects. Gather the children around the table with the milk and milk products. Ask the children to remember what was read about milk. Where does milk come from? (Cows) What color is milk? (White) Is milk a liquid or a solid? (Liquid) As you pour the milk into the glass, tell the children

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Nutrition Needs Fun Food Activities for Children Milk and Dairy Foods

Milk is a white liquid. Milk comes from cows. We drink milk with meals. Milk helps make our bones and teeth strong.

Milk is made into other foods we eat. Ask the children What foods are made from milk? (Respond to answers.) Yogurt

Tell the children Today we will see how milk changes when it is made into yogurt and cheese. As you transfer the yogurt from the carton into the glass bowl, tell the children Yogurt is made from milk. Yogurt is a thick liquid. We eat yogurt with a spoon. Yogurt helps make our bones and teeth strong. Yogurt tastes good with other foods, such as fruit.

Yogurt

As you transfer the cottage cheese from the carton into the glass bowl, tell the children Cheese is made from milk. Some cheeses are soft and mostly solid. Cottage cheese is like the curds and whey that Little Miss Muffet was eating with a spoon. Cheese curds are the solid form of milk. We eat cottage cheese with a spoon. As you show the plate of cheese cubes (or slices), tell the children

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Yogurt

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Nutrition Needs Fun Food Activities for Children Milk and Dairy Foods

When cheese curds are pressed together, more liquid comes out. These cheese curds become solid cheese. We can eat cheese cubes (slices) with our fingers or a fork. Cheese helps make our bones and teeth strong. Cheese tastes good with other foods, such as fruit. Serve each child a portion of yogurt (2 tablespoons), cottage cheese (2 tablespoons), and Monterey Jack cheese (1/4 ounce piece) on a plate.

While enjoying the snack, talk with the children about milk and the foods made from milk. Compare the flavors and textures of the different foods made from milk. Review facts about milk, yogurt, and cheese from the lesson.

Serving Idea:

For a reimbursable snack, add 1/2 cup of a fruit, such as fresh peach or pear slices. The children can dip the fruit into the yogurt and mix pieces of the fruit with the cottage cheese, if desired.

Suggested Reading List

Extra cheese please!: Mozzarella’s journey from cow to pizza, by Chris Peterson with photographs by Alvis Upitis. (1994), Boyds Mill Press, Honesdale, PA. Milk from cow to carton, by Aliki. (1974), (1992), HarperCollins Publishers, New York. The milk makers, by Gail Gibbons. (1987), Aladdin, New York.

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