Vegetables

StartSmart Pilot School : St Monica's Anglo-Chinese Kindergarten (Lei Tung)

《Mom, I am Constipated》
Encourage children to eat vegetables through story-telling

Stage 1: Introduction

Though vegetables are colourful, kids tend to resist them because of their special flavour. This may result in indigestion and constipation. To encourage children to eat vegetables, teachers and parents can cut them into pieces, or even grind them, and mix them with the rest of what’s in a kids’ meal. However, classroom lecture is not always enough to help kids understand that vegetables have rich dietary fibre, improve digestion and prevent constipation.

As a pioneer school, St Monica's Anglo-Chinese Kindergarten (Lei Tung) used the story ‘Sasa Is Constipated’ as a theme to launch the StartSmart@school.hk Pilot Project at school. Hand puppets were used to stimulate the kids’ interest and help them associate constipation with inadequate vegetable intake. In the end, the kids learnt that vegetables are good to health as they aid defecation and prevent illness.

To encourage the kids to eat more vegetables, the school designed a ‘Eat Vegetables Everyday’ record sheet. On the sheet the kids recorded the vegetables that they eat every week. The teachers then reward those who complete the record sheet. Parents also took part in the activity as they helped develop their children’s healthy eating habit. At the same time, when designing their nutritious menu for pupils, the school included steamed rice with minced vegetable or different kinds of vegetables. Besides, the kids were asked to bring fresh vegetables to school and made healthy vegetable soup at the teachers’ instructions; this gave the kids a sense of accomplishment, and gradually changes those who refused to eat vegetables.

Stage 2: Start Smart!

Live: Tell a story: Sasa Is Constipated

Objective: To help kids form a vegetable-eating habit, and to let them know that vegetables can prevent constipation.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: Hand puppets, and the story book ‘Sasa Is Constipated’.

Let’s GO!

1. The teacher tells the story ‘Sasa Is Constipated’ with the use of vegetable puppets.

   Summary of the story: Mum is worried about Sasa’s health as she hates vegetables. One day, Sasa feels sick in the tummy, and she has difficulty passing stool. Then Mum told Sasa to eat more fruit and vegetables because they contain rich fibre, which improves digestion. After that, Sasa eats vegetable every day, and she never feels pain in the tummy again.

2. Discussion with the kids after the story-telling session:
   
   
   1. What does Sasa usually like to eat? Why does she suffer from constipation?
      
      
   2. What nutrients do vegetables contain?
      
      
   3. What are the problems caused by chronic constipation? What kinds of food should be taken to tackle the problem?

Live: Yummy Vegetables

Objective: To let the kids find out more about vegetables and try them.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: Fresh vegetables, a hand puppet, hula hoops, vegetable picture cards, and a tambourine.

Let’s GO!

1. The kids are asked to bring one vegetable to school.
   
   
2. Using the vegetable puppet, the teacher tells the class that Sasa likes to eat vegetables now, and that there are different kinds of vegetables. The teacher talks about the colours, shapes and names of the vegetables brought back by the kids.
   
   
3. Use the vegetable puppet to announce the start of the game ‘Yummy Vegetables’:
   
   
   1. The teacher uses a few hula hoops to form a bigger circle on the floor.
      
      
   2. A vegetable picture card is placed next to each hula hoop.
      
      
   3. The kids stand outside the hula hoops while the teacher makes commands with a tambourine in the centre. When the teacher shakes the tambourine, the kids walk around the circle. They have to stop walking once the teacher strikes the tambourine.
      
      
   4. When the teacher says ‘yummy vegetables’, the kids have to reply by saying, “Which vegetable is most delicious?”
      
      
   5. The teacher will then tell his/her instruction by saying, for example, “Carrot is delicious.” At that moment, the kids have to step inside the hula hoop with the carrot picture card aside. Once the teacher strikes the tambourine twice, the kids have to walk out of the hula hoop.
      
      
4. After the game, the kids share about their favourite vegetables and the benefits. The teacher then encourages them to try different vegetable.