What do animals eat? What do humans eat? Are animal diets and human diets similar, different, or both? 

Watch the recorded program, then check out the related activities below from the National Zoo, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Museum of American History, National Museum of Asian Art, and the National Museum of Natural History! 

Content Unit :
Food
Featured Creature :
Red ruffed lemur, California sea lion
Smithsonian Partners :
National Museum of African American History and Culture; National Museum of American History; National Museum of Asian Art; National Museum of Natural History
ELOF Standards :
IT-C 1; IT-C 3, IT-PMP 4; IT-PMP 11; P-SCI 2; P-PMP 1; P-PMP 5

Resources and Activities

Check out fun and easy classroom activities to help teachers, families, and children further explore the topic of food with other Smithsonian museums!

Letter to Families

Print or send this letter home with your students to help them share what they learned during the "Fancy Food" virtual field trip and how families can continue the learning at home!

Resources

A green background with words on the left that read "Learn About Food with NMAAHC Kids" and a red chef coat on the right.
Fancy Food Food with Friends

Learn about Food with NMAAHC Kids

Food has the power to express cultural values, tell stories about history and bring people together. What's a special dish your family makes? How does food bring people together in your community? Discover Chef Leah Chase and start a food conversation with your early learners!

Additional details
Age Group:
Preschool
ELOF Domain:
Approaches to Learning Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development
Format:
PDF
Language:
English
Museum:
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Topic:
Food
Download
An ink and color image on silk. Four figured stand around a barrel used to make mochi with two on the left and two on the right. One figure is pounding rice paste with a hammer. They all wear blue and green clothing.
Fancy Food Food with Friends

Mochi Making with the National Museum of Asian Art

Celebrations are a time to share tasty meals with family and friends.&nbsp, Do you have a favorite sweet treat for the holidays?&nbsp, Join the National Museum of Asian Art to discover one of Japan’s special treats for the New Year celebration.&nbsp, Look closely and explore a work of art to discover this special treat and how it is made.

Additional details
Age Group:
Toddler Preschool
ELOF Domain:
Approaches to Learning Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development
Format:
Video
Language:
English
Museum:
National Museum of Asian Art
Topic:
Food
Watch
A teacher helps a pink jackalope puppet use a toy knife to chop a toy apple to feed to a stuffed sloth bear
Fancy Food Food with Friends

Zoo Commissary Dramatic Play

Let's have a real teddy bear picnic! Gather your stuffed animals and make them a meal, just like the Zoo keepers in the commissary. Use the downloadable template to create a Zoo Commissary Cookbook, with simple actions to engage even our youngest friends. Watch Pinky try it out at the National Zoo!

Additional details
Age Group:
Toddler Preschool
Animal:
All
ELOF Domain:
Approaches to Learning Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development
Format:
PDF
Language:
English
Museum:
National Zoo
Topic:
Food Animals
Download
Words "Pick Your Plate" appear above a graphic of a plate broken up into segments. Each segment is labeled as Fruits, Grains, Vegetables, and Protein. Next to the plate is a black fork and a circle that says Dairy.
Fancy Food Food with Friends

Pick Your Plate

Help your students explore nutrition and healthy eating with this fun lesson. Talk about different kinds of food and then create your own favorite meal with the "Pick Your Plate" activity, based on MyPlate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Additional details
Age Group:
Preschool
ELOF Domain:
Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development
Format:
PDF
Language:
English
Museum:
National Museum of American History
Topic:
Food
Download
"Food Spread" from National Museum of American History, an image of a fully set table with plates of a variety of foods
Fancy Food Food with Friends

Pick Your Plate E-Course

Let's learn more about how we choose the foods we like to eat with a very famous foodie: Chef Julia Child! This resource provides content for young learners that covers:

  • How Julia Child learned to cook and made fancy food accessible to everyone
  • How people use gardens to grow their own food today and in the past
  • Extension activities to help young children learn more about food and cooking!
Additional details
Age Group:
Preschool
ELOF Domain:
Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development
Format:
E-Activity
Language:
English
Museum:
National Museum of American History
Topic:
Food
View
A smiling keeper stands on the left next to a pink jackalope puppet.
Fancy Food Our Bodies and the Five Senses Food with Friends

Take a Tour of the Zoo Grocery Store

Have you ever wondered where the Zoo keeps the food for its animals? It's called the commissary, and it's a large grocery store just for Zoo animals! First, join keeper Antar and Pinky Jackalope as they chat about what food the animals eat. Follow along in this video as they prepare a special birthday meal for Zahra, the gorilla. Then, create your own gorilla birthday cake using the downloadable lesson below!

Additional details
Age Group:
Preschool
Animal:
Gorilla
ELOF Domain:
Approaches to Learning Cognition Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development
Format:
PDF
Language:
English
Museum:
National Zoo
Topic:
Food Animals
Watch Download Activity Descargar Actividad
See All Resources

Recursos

"Food Spread" from National Museum of American History, an image of a fully set table with plates of a variety of foods
Fancy Food Food with Friends

Elije tu Plato E-Curso

¡Aprendamos más sobre cómo elegimos los alimentos que nos gusta comer con una famosa amante de la comida: la Chef Julia Child! Este recurso ofrece contenido para jóvenes estudiantes que incluye:

  • Cómo Julia Child aprendió a cocinar y hizo que la comida elegante fuera accesible para todos
  • Cómo las personas usan los jardines para cultivar sus propios alimentos hoy y en el pasado
  • Actividades complementarias para ayudar a los niños pequeños a aprender más sobre la comida y la cocina
Additional details
Age Group:
Preschool
ELOF Domain:
Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development
Format:
E-Activity
Language:
Spanish
Museum:
National Museum of American History
Topic:
Food
Vista
See All Resources