I try very hard to make sure that my boys are eating healthy and getting lots of exercise but there are times that that can be very difficult.
Zackary and Benjamin have very different tastes when it comes to healthy food, which makes cooking difficult, and have exactly the same taste in junk food, which I have to constantly try to curb.
To top it all off, while they’re both very active boys, they tend to bore easily and need lots of different active options to keep them moving.
That’s why I thought the concept of Eat to Win, a new board game to teach children about healthy eating and physical activity, was so interesting.
I received a copy of both the original and the Weight Loss Edition versions of the game and I was excited to sit down with my boys and see what they thought of it.
The game is designed to be really visually appealing to children with plenty of bright colours, game cards, play money and food tokens.
I liked the fact that the player tokens were little bicycles and that money, something most children find fascinating, was involved. We started rolling the dice and moving around the board and before long we were all hooked.
What I love about this game is that it involves actual physical activity. When a player lands on a certain square, he chooses a “Do It” card and is given a fun task to complete.
From hopping around the room on one foot to having an imaginary snowball fight with another player, there are all kinds of fun challenges to complete. And if a player doesn’t want to participate, he pays a “lazy fee” of $200!
There are also cards that challenge players to ask questions about nutrition and the game even has the option of being played with healthy snacks! It really is a complete package when it comes to teaching children about healthy eating and exercise.
And best of all, it’s fun too! The Weight Loss Edition is even more handy since it can actually be used every day to help make weight loss fun and stress-free for overweight children.
I know that playing a board game isn’t going to suddenly ensure that my boys start choosing apple slices over cupcakes, but it is a fun way to enforce healthy lifestyle concepts that can help children eventually make logical nutrition choices on their own.
Update: While Eat to Win is no longer for sale from the manufacturer, it can occasionally be found on ebay.com, so check there if you’re looking for a copy!
We go for walks most days and my son is also involved in organised sports.
Going for a walk a few times a week pushing our baby in her stroller
we go to the park as often as we can :)
I would just hire someone to do the activity for me. Take that board game!
Model by example. It’s easy with my kids since they’ll develop cabin fever if they are home for too long.
We go outside 5 days a week for gross motor skills.
walking the dog
We make it a point to go for walks with the dogs!
Such a unique game! Great
i always worry about that i’ll just take my kids outside and play tag soccer, anything to keep them moving…we also love to take long walks