Making Healthy Easy with Let’s Move and Pinterest
May 22, 2013
If you haven’t been to the Let’s Move! website, or even if you have, there is always something new to support healthy kids! One thing we love about Let’s Move! is the way they make it easy to choose healthy, easy to take action, and easy to – yes – MOVE.
Easy Move for Schools: Join the HealthierUS Schools Challenge
Take it further: Download the teacher toolkit
Easy Move for Kids: Try new fruits and veggies.
Take it further: Download the full Kids action plan
Easy Move for Parents: Take a walk with your family after dinner.
Take it further: Download a full Parents action plan
Since May is Active Play month at HKC, I do want to point out the whole section on Let’s Move!’s website devoted to getting active. The Get Active section has specific areas targeted at families, schools, and communities. You’ll love the area that gives kids options of “What To Do” on the Let’s Move Outside pages.
A super-easy way to eat healthy is finding the new MyPlate recipes on Pinterest. The Partnership for a Healthier America, Let’s Move!, USDA’s MyPlate, and the nation’s top recipe creators teamed up to make it easier for you to put nutritious meals on the table. Just search for MyPlate Recipes on Pinterest.
Speaking of Pinterest, remember we’re on there too, spreading the word-I mean, the pins-about everything to help build a healthy world for kids! Go to pinterest.com/healthykidschal or simply search for our name.
How do you make healthy the easy choice?
Active Play: Challenge, Printable, and SPARK
May 9, 2013
May is THE month for Active Play! In honor of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, I challenge you to help kids get more active play by using at least one of the following options:
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Active Play Challenge – May Action Idea
- Download the Active Play Challenge form and copy enough to give one to each kid.
- Explain to the kids that you are going to challenge them to feel good, look great and have fun with minutes in motion during the day!
- Hand out the Challenge forms and explain how to track points each day.
- Encourage kids to get an to join them in active play, and get extra points. Have the parent/guardian sign the log, and the kids can bring it back to school.
- At the end of 1 week, discuss with kids their results.
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Family Fun Means Motion - Print this new sheet from our “Active Play, Balance My Day” Healthy6 tip series. It helps you make physical activity fun with tried and true family games! It’s a great way to get the whole family moving.
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Partner Spotlight on SPARK
You may have seen this already, but I want to share that this month in our weekly WOWS newsletters, we are featuring some of our Partners In Health. Since I’m already sharing some of our active play ideas here, I thought I’d mention that our partner, SPARK, has free physical activity and P.E. lesson plans online. Check ‘em out!
Early Childhood Physical Activity Lesson Plans
Elementary School Physical Education Lesson Plans
New Action Idea and Tip Sheet for September
September 13, 2012
In honor of Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, here are 2 actions you can take to help kids make healthy food choices and be more active.
How Many Fruits and Veggies on YOUR Plate?
- Using a MyPlate poster, point out the fruit and vegetable food groups.
- Have kids draw the MyPlate icon on a paper plate.
- Ask kids what veggies they eat. Instruct them to write in the veggie section of MyPlate, all the different veggies they usually eat.Find the full activity – and more ideas – on our September Monthly Action Idea page.
Active Play – Fun Moves Everywhere
This month our parent tip sheet focuses on Active Play. Click the link, scroll to the bottom of the page, download it and share!
Challenge yourself and your family to try these ideas to add more healthy activity into your day! Every little bit helps and soon a little bit, can make a BIG difference.
4 Simple Ways to Add Play to A Summer Day
May 10, 2012
School will be out soon and summer days beg to be filled with active play! Give any of these 4 ideas a try and come back to let us know which is your favorite.
- Put Your Heads Together – Gather your family to discuss fun, active play ideas you want to do together this summer. Think of all options – swimming, hiking, biking, playing yard games, time at the park, taking an exercise class or learning a new sport or activity. List everyone’s ideas and then choose one to do right away. Keep the list in a handy place.
- Grab N Go – Find ways to add active play into summer picnics and cookouts. Grab a Frisbee® to throw, balls to kick, or badminton and croquet sets to enjoy when there is free time. Ask friends and family to join!
- Play-cation – Allow time to stop and get out to stretch and walk when traveling. Locate a park to burn off some energy. Add active play to your vacation plans by including hiking trails or bicycling paths on your visit.
- Marathon Walking Challenge – You may not be ready to run 26.2 miles but you can challenge yourself and others to add up the miles each day. How long will it take you to cover 26.2 miles? For more information about this challenge see our Active Play page.
“A great learning experience and so much fun that the kids can make a bracelet as well!”
January 12, 2012
“A great learning experience and so much fun that the kids can make a bracelet as well”, exclaimed a grandmother as she finished the Explore MyPlate event at the Disney Marathon Expo. The day was filled with health and physical activity!
“Fantastic!” Just one of the many praises overheard as people couldn’t wait to bring their family and grandchildren through a live walking tour of MyPlate. Many kids came by twice wanting to talk more and touch the food and ask more questions.
If you weren’t able to attend but want a glimpse of what the Explore MyPlate experience is all about, hear it from other participants first:
What was your favorite part of Explore MyPlate?
“It’s so fun and brightly colored and you learn what foods make you healthy.”
“The bracelet and the activity table were fun. It was fun to roll the dice and play the game.”
“The interactive nature of the event, made nutrition education fun and exciting.”
“The staff really spoke to each child on their level to help them learn all about MyPlate.”
Of the different Explore MyPlate stations, which was the most interesting?
“The Explore More table. They had sugar cubes and fat that showed how much was in snacks, candy and soda.”
Did you learn anything new?
“What surprised me the most was that all foods are okay. It’s about making better choices.”
“I really like the visual of the butter and sugar cubes – showing how much fat is in chips and how much sugar is in candy and soda.”
“I learned there is so much sugar in pop and a bag of Skittles. I can choose other sweet foods like blueberries or an apple for a snack.”
What would you like to share with others about your Explore MyPlate experience?
“Excellent–very organized and everybody was nice and helpful.”
“I would love to see this at my kid’s school!”
“I would recommend this because it was an easy and straight forward way to present My Plate. The way the set-up was made the message clear about what foods are in what food groups. The interactive nature allowed children to touch and feel food and make a bracelet -a physical reminder of the messages from the event. The staff was very informative and not judgmental when talking about children’s diets.”
Want to know more? Click here: Explore MyPlate.
Connecting healthy eating and fun physical activity helps create appeal for healthy choices. Through a Healthy Kids Challenge - CIGNA partnership, this weekend kids and families will make the connection! At the fun-filled Disney World Marathon Expo they will Explore MyPlate, learn fun nutrition facts, receive helpful “can do” tips, and “move” with a fun game they can do at home. Come follow the fun this Friday and Saturday in Orlando or on Twitter and Facebook.
Disney World Marathon Weekend Expo Helps Families Find Health
December 28, 2010
Disney CIGNA Healthy Kids Challenge Walk Through the Pyramid
Get in on the action at the Walk Through the PyramidTM during the Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend Expo. Thousands of families will get to actually walk through the food pyramid, learning healthy food choices and getting some activity at the same time! Healthy Kids Challenge® and presenting sponsor CIGNA are partners with the goal of educating families about making healthy behavior a priority and to help children integrate these habits into their everyday routines.
Even in the rain and freezing temperatures last year, CIGNA employees’ families were among Walk Through the Pyramid participants who waited in line for the experience.
“My kids were there and loved the Healthy Kids Challenge experience. They wore their pyramid bracelets the whole weekend!” Patty Caballero, CIGNA
CIGNA and Healthy Kids Challenge have collaborated for several years, working together to develop and implement programs that drive behavioral changes in many important settings where kids and families live, learn, work and play.
This year one of our Healthy Kids Challenge staff will join the CIGNA running team at the races as well! Tiffany ran her first marathon at Disney World in 2008 (see previous post), and this year she has accepted an even greater challenge – she is racing Goofys Race and a Half Challenge.
We at Healthy Kids Challenge acknowledge Tiffany and all the CIGNA runners for truly making healthy behavior a priority for themselves and their families! Of course showing off a Mickey or a Goofy medal will be fun, too!
Remember to participate in the Walk Through the Pyramid and meet our “Goofy Challenger” from Healthy Kids Challenge!
Active Play, Balance My Day
October 12, 2010
Increase physical movement through the day in every way. Healthy Kids Challenge recommends choosing things you LIKE to do for at least 60 minutes of active time most days. Here’s a favorite Healthy Kids Challenge Activity Idea:
Moving in the Right Direction
Description: Kids learn cardinal direction while in motion
Grade: K-2
No supplies
Directions:
The teacher will:
- Have kids scatter throughout a large identified area..
- Begin by having players review the four cardinal directions: North, South, East, and West.
- Identify a cardinal direction and instruct kids to perform a motion while moving in that direction.
SUGGESTION: As kids become proficient with the 4 basic directions, add north and south westerly and easterly directions.
Action Option: This activity can be modified to use in the classroom using simple dance steps. Have kids practice dance steps, then add the direction to the music. Don’t hesitate to ask the music professionals to lend a hand!Examples: Grapevine West, Grapevine East, Cha-cha-North, Cha-cha-South.
For more activity ideas like the one above, check out free Healthy Kids Challenge resource materials on www.healthykidschallenge.com.
Perk Up Your Family Walks
May 4, 2010
Healthy Kids Challenge wants you to add family walks to your summertime activities. Add the following fun variations to keep kids interested!
Play games as you are walking:
- “I Spy”. Set rules such as the “I Spy” object must be in front of all family members, larger than a toaster, and not further than a block away.
- “Simon Says”. Use various arm motions, kicks, hops and jumps while walking.
- “Name that Tune”. Choose family favorites, folk songs, rap, or holiday songs.
Let us know what other walking games you can think of to add to the list!
