Board Game: Mercado

Mercado is a board game that can be student led and easily integrated into the classroom, indoor recess, or afterschool activities to make learning about food fun and meaningful.

Mercado encourages students to discover, plan, and problem-solve as they collect the ingredients and kitchen equipment on their recipe card, and race to be the first to check out. With movement cards, action spaces, and twists like teleports and blocked tills, every round is full of surprises. This game is perfect for building food literacy and sparking curiosity through playful exploration.

🔍 Game Details:

Designed for ages 4+

2–4 players

20 minutes to play

1 board, 2 game variations

✅What’s Included:

Game board

Play instructions

Dice cards

Place markers

4 player pieces

12 action cards

38 recipe cards

40 memory cards

👥 Who Is This For?

Educators, teachers, and caregivers working with children ages 4 and up

Out of school care looking for activities to engage children

Teachers looking for a nutrition education extension activity

Early learning and child care programs encouraging preschool students to explore food through play

Canadian educators looking for an activity on a cold indoor recess day 🍁❄️

🛒Your adventure awaits… Order now!

Who can order:

Everyone

Level:

All Levels

Language:

English

(Click here for French version)

Board Game: Mercado

Availability :

In stock

Cost :

FREE

Important Information :

If you would like to order more than one game, please contact us.

When you download or order a resource, we may contact you to improve resources and your experience. You can opt out of these messages at any time. By providing your email, you agree to DFC’s Privacy Policy and Legal Statement. For any questions or help please reach out to teach@dfc-plc.ca.

⭐ How it is useful?

Mercado is an educational board game that blends play with purpose, supporting meaningful connections between concepts and real-world experiences. By playing this game students can:

Build numeracy and literacy – count spaces and move across the board, while reading and interpreting game rules and cards

Develop food literacy – learn food-related knowledge and skills

Grow comfort with a variety of foods – gain exposure to new and familiar foods without pressure to taste or try

Cultivate curiosity – learn which ingredients and kitchen equipment are needed to prepare a recipe

Strengthen attention and memory – (Memory Mission) search for recipe ingredients and equipment while taking turns turning over cards

Enhance problem-solving skills – (Mission Mercado) navigate the board while trying to collect food and kitchen equipment required for a recipe

Express creativity – invent their own rules using the materials they choose

🍽️ Digital Recipes

Feeling inspired? Download our favourite quick and easy Mercado recipes to prepare with students as a group activity and/or share with caregivers:

Energy Balls

Frozen Yogurt Bark

Giant Cookie

Strawberry Mango Panna Cotta

❤️ Why you’ll like this game

Classroom extension activity: Reinforces key concepts, encourages teamwork, and strengthens critical-thinking skills

Indoor recess activity: Provides a fun, screen-free option that keeps students engaged, focused, and learning

Afterschool program activity: Offers a meaningful, hands-on activity that supports skill-building in a relaxed, enjoyable environment
Overall benefit: Brings learning to life and keeps students excited to explore in any setting.

👩‍️ Backed by experts

Created by Registered Dietitians at Teach Nutrition, this game develops food literacy and nurtures a positive relationship with food.

Want an easy, student-led activity that’s fun and educational?

👉Order Mercado today!

Explore the activities

Giant Cookie Activity

Energy Balls Activity

Yogurt Bark Activity

Panna Cotta Activity

Energy Balls Recipe

Yogurt Bark Recipe

Panna Cotta Recipe

Giant Cookie Recipe

Instructions

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Board Game: Mercado

Board Game: Mercado

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