Healthy habits start in childhood. What’s more, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites that healthy children tend to be better learners and have fewer behavioral problems.
But good health is a broad concept—it’s not just about cutting back on candy or getting plenty of exercise outside (though those are two important healthy habits that kids can learn). Good health encompasses proper mental, emotional, and social well-being too. It’s a lot to learn. And it’s one of the reasons that the nationwide nonprofit Action for Healthy Kids tries to make it easy for teachers and parents to promote all aspects of good health during Healthy Kids Week, an annual observance since 2013 that takes place during the last full week of April.
This year, from April 25 through 29, participating classrooms across the nation will use designated days of the week to teach about a different component of good health and associated good habits that kids can easily learn.
If you’re an educator at a school that’s participating, or even a parent who wants to implement the lessons at home, here are some great ways you can observe Every Kid Healthy Week:
Mindful Monday
Mindful Monday is all about learning good social-emotional health. Kids learn how to manage their emotions and be considerate in the way they interact with others. To teach children to be mindful, you can… Encourage them to write a journal entry about their day. Consider how they felt when something good or bad happened, and how their actions might have made others feel. They can also write about what they might have done differently if they were to relive the day over again. • Learn breathing exercises for better emotional regulation. Inhaling and exhaling deeply for 10 seconds can help them regain control of themselves so they don’t act impulsively. • Create a calm-down corner where they can go when they are angry or sad. Their calm-down corner should be a safe space where they can be separated from whatever triggered their negative emotions.
Tasty Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday lets children explore all aspects of good nutrition. They learn how food affects their bodies and why it’s good to eat a variety of nutritious foods while being moderate in their consumption of food with less nutritional value. Kids can get excited about healthy eating by doing the following… Cook a healthy meal together as a family or pack lunches together for the next day. Aim to include foods in a variety of colors, such as red (apples, strawberries, bell peppers), orange (carrots, pumpkin, oranges), yellow (bananas, lemons, squash), green (broccoli, kiwi, avocado), and blue/purple (grapes, eggplant, beets). • Plant a garden—kids will be much more excited about new foods if they grow it themselves, plus this will increase their appreciation of where food comes from. If a garden isn’t a practical option, take them to a farmer’s market or produce stand. Pick a fruit or vegetable they’ve never tried before and take it home to find a recipe you can use it in. • Hold a taste testing as a family or group of friends where you try new foods. Be sure to include healthy dips like hummus, guacamole, or mustard to make the new foods more exciting. • Create a sugar visualization so kids can see how much sugar is in certain snack foods (particularly beverages like soda). Read the nutritional label to see how many grams of added sugar are in the product. Measure out 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar for every 4 grams of added sugar—that’s how much sugar is in that packaged product. Talk about how sugary snacks are okay as long as they’re enjoyed in moderation.
Wellness Wednesday
Wellness Wednesday is all about overall enjoyment of the world around them. In pursuing overall wellness, kids might seek a better relationship with nature and try to create a healthier planet. It’s about appreciating the outdoors and fresh air instead of being inside looking at a screen all day. Kids can improve their wellness in one of the following ways… Do a lesson or their homework outside if the weather permits. Bring a pitcher of water for drinking, some bug spray, and all their school supplies so you can create a homework station at a picnic bench in the backyard or at the park. • Organize a trash pickup at a public place where there is lots of litter. Discuss how cleaning up trash not only makes a place look prettier but also makes it a healthier place for animals to live and people to play. • Go for a walk outside, ideally through a natural area if one is accessible. Count how many wild animals you see or collect different types of leaves you find on the ground. • Adopt environmentally friendly practices around your house or classroom such as recycling, turning off the lights when you leave the room, and turning off the water when you aren’t using it.
Thoughtful Thursday
Thoughtful Thursday is all about using the brain, both academically and creatively. Kids love to think, be creative, and use their imaginations. But sometimes, it can be hard when they are distracted by chores or screens. Encourage kids to be thoughtful, resourceful, and empathetic when you… Provide clay, putty, or play dough to children while having a conversation about their day. Having something to occupy their hands will help distract them so they feel more comfortable opening up. • Draw self-portraits and encourage using colors that match the mood they are feeling. Have a conversation about why they associate certain colors with certain emotions. • Play problem-solving games that involve concentration and strategy. • Memorize a favorite poem. • Design motivational posters with uplifting phrases and pictures that will help cheer them up when they are down (or will cheer up a friend or sibling who needs it). • Read a book or watch a movie and discuss the emotions that characters go through. Encourage the kids to focus on whether they’ve ever felt similarly, and whether they acted on their emotions in the same way as the characters.
Fitness Friday
Fitness Friday focuses on getting kids up and moving around. Even if kids get plenty of physical activity from sports practices, recess, or gym class, it can help to find different modes of exercise they enjoy. Ways your class or family can be more active include… Build an obstacle course using items you have around the house. See who can complete the obstacle course the fastest, or challenge individual children to beat their best time by attempting the course over and over again. • Walk or ride bikes if a destination is close enough and there is safe infrastructure like sidewalks or trails. • Remember to emphasize the importance of proper rest and recovery. After a competitive game or a lot of time outside, make sure children get a little downtime and a good night’s rest.
