Poar It Out

Objective:

Children compare their usual intake of juice (as poured into a typical cup and measured) to a standard 4 ounce serving. (Note: this activity works best with a small group so that the children can receive individual attention from the leader.)

Materials and Preparation:

Cups or glasses of different sizes and shapes
2 Measuring cups with ounce markings
Juice, water

Intructions:

Depending upon the size of your group, arrange the materials on a table in the front, or if staff allows, have duplicate materials set around the room for smaller groups to work together.
Invite two to four students to select a cup and pour the amount of juice that he/she would usually drink at home into the cup.
Inform the group that they are going to analyze their drinks to see if they are drinking more or less than they need.
Instruct the child to pour the juice into the measuring cup to see how much juice he/she usually drinks.
In the other measuring cup, pour out 4 ounces (1/2 cup) and tell the children that this is one serving of juice. How does this compare to the child's drink? Pour the standard amount into the selected cup to visual the difference.
Invite other children in pairs or small groups to experiment with the juice. What type or size of cup holds 4 ounces well? How does this amount look when poured into different cups/containers?
Explain that while 100% fruit juice gives us vitamins and natural sugar, we need to limit the amount we drink.
Tell children that water is the best choice to quench thirst, and that low-fat milk is a super drink for strong bones and teeth.

Extension Activities

Taste water flavored with fruit slices such as lemon, lime, cucumbers, melons, or berries. Have the kids blindfold each other and see if they can correctly identify what flavor the water is! Or, freeze juice as ice cubes for a flavorful addition to water.