Snack Market: Trade and Build Your Fuel

A relay and strategy game where each team collects food cards from a central market. With them, teams build snacks that fit three moments with physical activity.

How to play

1. Five teams. The teacher presents three situations: one or two hours before practice, recess with a pickup game, and after the game. There are four card types: energy, muscle repair, fruit or veggie, and drink (3 min).
2. Collection relay: one runner at a time grabs a face-down card from the market hoop and runs back to tag the next teammate (6 min).
3. Market round: each runner may take one card back to the market and swap it. They can look at the new card for just 3 seconds before deciding (6 min).
4. Build: each team lays out its cards in three hoops, one per situation (4 min).
5. Walk-through on the move: teams jog around the other bases and leave a cone on the snack that best fits its situation (4 min).
6. Wrap-up: there are no forbidden foods, just better and worse moments; water is the go-to drink (2 min).

Rules

• Only one runner per team in the market at a time.
• One card per trip.
• Nobody says a food is «fattening» or talks about bodies: we talk about energy and timing.
• Run out on the right and come back on the outside.

Variations

Adaptations

• Visual impairment: cards have a raised symbol for each type, and a partner reads the food.
• Limited mobility: the team makes them the «buyer» at the market; teammates bring cards so they decide the swaps.
• Students with allergies, intolerances, or religious or cultural diets: include alternative cards and respect every choice without comment.

Learning goals

• Connect what we eat with energy to move.
• Choose snacks suited to each activity moment.
• Cooperate on team strategy.

Equipment for a class of 25

• food cards: 60
• hula hoops: 16
• cones: 30

Teacher tip

Make about 60 varied cards, including pastries and soda, so you can talk about «sometimes foods» without demonizing them. If anyone comments on someone's body, stop it right away and steer back to energy and performance.

More main activities for Middle School