Healthy Eating for Kids: Tummy Ninjas vs. the Stomach Virus

Healthy Eating for Kids:  

Tummy Ninjas vs. the Stomach Virus

I'm so excited about having my dear friend Melisa as a guest.  She and I taught 2nd grade and then 4th grade together.  She is one of the most awesome people I know!  Melisa is passionate about teaching kids all about eating healthy!

Melisa has written a book, Tummy Ninjas vs. the Stomach Virus, and she's here to tell us all about it!

Hi, Melisa!  Thank you so much for being a guest.  Can you tell us a little about your background and who you are?

Hi!  My name is Melisa West, and I am the author of Tummy Ninjas vs. the Stomach Virus.  I have been an elementary school teacher for 17 years, and I LOVE it.  My husband Brandon and I have two amazingly adorable children of our own.  I have a bachelor's degree in health and physical education and a master's degree in special education.  I am a NESTA Certified Childhood Nutrition Specialist and a NESTA Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach.  It is a blessing to use my skills as an educator and my passion for health to teach, motivate, and encourage young people and families to lead healthy lifestyles. 

 My daughter Ava looking at her copy of the Tummy Ninjas book.

Can you tell us how you encourage a healthy lifestyle in your classroom?

​As a teacher, I have worked with thousands of children.  It has been exciting to observe how easy it is to be a positive role model and set a good example for them.  I have had countless parents send me messages to thank me for motivating their children to drink more water or try a new fruit.  Yes, I am THAT teacher who doesn't give candy.  I do make fruit salad for my students several times per year, and I encourage healthy snacks.  I have found that my students appreciate this. Plus, the students feel better throughout the day and are ready to learn.

How did you first develop the idea of your Tummy Ninjas story?

​It is in the classroom that I first created the Tummy Ninjas story 7+ years ago.  I had a group of adorable 2nd graders pulling out their snacks for the day.  To my astonishment, most students had bags of candy as their snacks (it was the day after Halloween).  I always eat snacks with my students.  This is just a very subtle way in which I like to inspire them to make healthy choices.  On this special day, I was eating egg salad wrapped in a Romaine lettuce leaf.  We had a very brief talk about how the candy would make them feel after they ate it.  The students all agreed that they would feel "kind of yucky".  We then discussed how apples, bananas, or something with less sugar would make them feel.  They all agreed that those foods would give them more energy and make them feel great.  From there, I told them that when we feed our "tummy ninjas" fresh fruits and vegetables, they get strong and can fight off germs.

How did the students react to this?

This really made an impact on the students.  The most exciting part of this story is that on the very next day, the students brought apples, bananas, carrot sticks, and even egg salad for snack.  They were all talking about the tummy ninjas and how they were feeding them to make them strong.  How cool and simple was that?

That's amazing!  I remember all of the work you and Brandon put into writing and illustrating this book.  Can you tell us more about your book?

We used our two children as the stars of our books.  Miles is the hero of the book, and Ava has her own character.  My husband did all of the illustrations using both of them as models.  Here's a synopsis of the book:

What is your next step of utilizing your book to reach more children and encourage healthy eating for kids?

After publishing my book, I have designed several health lessons using my Tummy Ninjas theme.  The health lessons strongly incorporate reading and writing skills.  These lessons can be found in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  To find these fun lessons, click here.

I have also created a website dedicated to teaching children and parents about healthy options.

Melisa has generously offered to give away one of her books and a unit from her store to TWO lucky winners.  For a chance to win visit this simple giveaway to enter.  This contest will run from Sunday, March 8, 2020 to Sunday, March 15, 2020.

To purchase your own copy of Tummy Ninjas vs. the Stomach Virus, click here.

Ava admiring her father's drawing of her.

Spreading news about great happenings in the classroom, that's just...  

My Kind of Teaching!

Using Games to Learn: the Importance of Games in Your Classroom

Using Games to Learn: the Importance of Games in Your Classroom

Do you use games in your classroom?

I mean, like ALL. THE. GAMES?

- card games 
- board games 
- whole-class games 
- partner games 
- individual games 
- small-group games

Do you incorporate games into ALL subjects?

If your answer is no, you are missing out on a virtual GOLD MINE of learning in your classroom!

Today, I’d like to talk about the importance of incorporating more games into your classroom routine.

Games are a great way to introduce a concept, practice and reinforce skills, review before a test, build confidence, and so many more benefits.

Using games instead of workbooks, homework, or drill and kill is a FUN way to incorporate learning in a nonthreatening way.  It feels rebellious and like you are "cheating" and not fully teaching, but that couldn't be further from the truth! 

Those of you who know me know that my philosophy in both a traditional brick and mortar school setting as well as in homeschooling involves learning through play.

If this is not your mindset, it is never too late to change and begin thinking of play and games as part of your curriculum.  

Games ARE learning!

In addition to learning and practicing specific skills and concepts, playing games develops and encompasses many other skills:

• verbal skills
• following directions
• social skills
• cooperation
• critical thinking
• problem-solving
• focus

Your students will be THRILLED to come to your classroom when you put away the workbooks and worksheets and play a game instead.

You will be THRILLED because your load will become lighter by adding games to your day and week.  The benefits for you include:

• less prep time (ALWAYS a win-win!)
• nothing to grade
• minimal setup
• maximum engagement 
• informal observations and assessments

There are many different ways you can add games to your day.

• Add a game to your morning routine for "bell work".
• Add games for early finishers.
• Add games to centers.
• BEGIN with a game in any subject.
• Complete other work and END with a game.
• End your day on a high note with a game.
• Add games for enrichment or remediation.

One of the easiest and most fun ways I used games in my classroom for a whole group was so very simple and involved absolutely NO PREP on my part. I call this game "Four Corners".  Here's how to play:

Designate each corner of your classroom as a letter.  You can even add the letters like I did.  One corner is A, another is B, and the other two are C and D.  Ask your students a question with four answers.  When you say "move", the students all move to the corner that they feel is the correct answer.

(When you first begin playing this game, students do not want to be "wrong" and will usually follow the students they think know the answer.  One way to stop this is to give each student a write/wipe board along with a dry-erase marker and eraser.  Before saying "move", the students must write their answers on their boards.  When they move, they take only their boards with them and hold those boards up so that you can see that they have written the same letter as where they are standing.)

As students become more confident with this game, they will be able to move to a letter with confidence, even if they are the only student.  It really becomes empowering when students realize that the majority of students actually move to the wrong answers sometimes!

Through many, MANY years of teaching, I have witnessed the power of using games in my classroom (and now in our homeschool).  While it does take a little planning and gathering of materials on your part, it is still vastly less than printing worksheets, grading those worksheets, and more.  Use those worksheets sparingly as a way to have paper proof (if you must) that the students have learned the concept.  We all know that you know which students have it and which students don't without seeing it on that piece of paper!

You can add games to your classroom without a lot of money:

• thrift stores
• by asking family members and friends
• posts on social media for donations to your classroom
• yard sales
• clearance
• online printables
• online digital games

If you are interested, I have several printable games in my Teachers pay Teachers store.

Here is a FREE printable in my store.

• Addition & Multiplication Game

Sign up for my weekly emails, and get eleven FREE no-prep centers and games.

Giving your students time to learn in this format can and will transform your classroom environment and your students' confidence in their abilities. 

Try it and watch the magic happen.

Fun combined with learning, that's just...

My Kind of Teaching