Tengiliður
Þóra Valsdóttir
Verkefnastjóri
thora.valsdottir@matis.is
Food Imaginarium is Proof of concept (PoC) under the EIT Food Public engagement functional area, theme; Childhood obesity. Matís is leading the project.
The origin of food is unclear to many children – they are used to the idea that food comes in packaging from the supermarket. Yet, knowledge about food is crucial to develop healthy eating habits! The PoC Food Imaginarium project will offer teachers and children (age 10-12 years old) fun and entertaining tools to talk about food – using all their senses, imagination, and creativity. The Food Imaginarium will cover different foods – starting with tomatoes as an example. A 360° video takes the children to a sustainable tomato farm – in a very snowy country! With virtual games and quizzes, they can dive deeper into the world of tomatoes’ nutrients and experience how tomatoes grow, smell & taste.
The Food Imaginarium’s aim is to reach children at the age when they are prone to start developing obesity by approaching them via interactive and engaging activities to spark interest and increase knowledge for making healthy food choices. In the PoC, the potential impact on children’s knowledge and implicit behavior will be measured. Feedback from teachers and experimenters on the Food Imaginarium activities will also be collected with the purpose of giving direction for further development and improvement of the Food Imaginarium.