Building Healthy Habits Through STEM:
Challenging the Next Generation
The Legends of Learning 2021 Fall Game Design Challenge provided over 1,200 K-12th grade students the opportunity to tap into their creative energy and by designing games that build, develop and encourage kids to adopt healthy habits. By asking students to create a board, card or dice game, the challenge facilitated computational thinking, collaboration and communication skills. The first grand prize winner was a team from Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Texas. Their game, PINES (Physical, Intellectual, Nutritional, Emotional, Sleep) Health Academy, asked participants to complete challenges and correctly answer health-related questions as they made their way around a board.
The second grand prize winner was a team from the School District of Manatee County in Florida. Their game, Magic Marathon, involved assisting five high schoolers to train for a marathon by challenging them on who could be the “healthiest” with their sleep, food, surrounding, mental health and exercise choices.
“Thank you so much for this opportunity. This is something my students will remember for a lifetime. This was fun, engaging, motivating and overall a wonderful learning project about healthy habits.” — Participating Elementary School Teacher
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