Teachers and Youth Leaders

Why Take the Challenge?

Enhance learning in math, science, literature, and more...with fun, hands-on activities that also send a healthy eating and physical activity message! Mix up quick and easy activities to create a curiosity for learning and the potential for healthy outcomes!

Improve potential for healthy habits that lead to healthy bodies, greater academic success, fewer behavior problems, and better school attendance.

Movement activities in the classroom reinforce core subject matter. Active involvement captures interest, stimulates thinking, and helps develop healthy minds and bodies.

Take the Challenge Tips – Getting Started
Begin something awesome by taking simple steps!

“1-2-3’s” for Incorporating Healthy Messages
It is easy when you start small and build!

• Model healthy choices
  • Add healthy options for snacks and parties
  • Provide examples of healthy eating or physical activity choices in everyday life
• Use brief activities as “filler” time. Consider adding a healthy eating learning activity:
  • Five minutes before lunch or at the end of the day.
  • A day when kids can’t go out for recess.
• Create a learning center that includes a healthy message.
  • Collect resources such as the ORGANWISE GUYS to enhance reading along with fun activities.

Tips for Healthy Moves (increasing minutes of motion)

• Add short “energizer” breaks to the day. Ask your physical educator to come into the classroom to demonstrate some safe, simple stretches appropriate for kids.
• Incorporate movement in simple ways. As an example, try the following ideas:

Yes or No – True or False with Movement:
Whenever asking questions that require a “yes or no” (or true/false) answer, have students stand with both arms in the air if it is yes, or stand with only their right arm in the air if it is no.

Jumping Syllables (grades 2-3):
Student outcome: The student will identify the correct number of syllables in a word.

• Have all students stand.
• Call out a word.
• Ask students to jump once for every syllable in the word.

Example: For tomato, the students would jump three times

Simon Sez Math Review (questions can be developed for any grade level):
Student Outcome: The student will review math facts

If 5 + 5 = 10 is correct...Do 5 jumping jacks If 3 X 5 = 15 is correct...Hop 5 times

Tips for Healthy Eating

Keep healthy eating messages simple and easy with a focus on healthy choices

Send the message that

• All foods fit with healthy balance of eating choices and physical activity
• The focus is on healthy habits for all kids regardless of weight
• Making healthy eating and physical activity choices can be enjoyable

The best tool for kids to receive a consistent, healthy message is The United States Department of Agriculture MyPyramid food guidance system. Nutrition is a science and like any other, it is evolving and constantly being evaluated based on the newest findings. MyPyramid concepts provide a good solid start to making healthy choices. Learning is enhanced when kids have an opportunity to practice making the choices they are learning and taste foods in the classroom.

Healthy Kids Challenge uses 6 Healthy Messages to help develop attitudes and skills for making healthy choices:

1. Fruits & Veggies – Every Day the Tasty Way! Eat at least 5 servings (and up to 9) of fruits and veggies each day. Help kids learn “More Matters”!
2. Snack Attack! – Recognize added sugar and fat in foods as a step in making choices for healthy balance. Choose foods with added sugar and fat less often or in smaller amounts.
3. Active Play EVERY Day! – Increase physical movement through the day in every way. Choose things you LIKE to do for at least 60 minutes of active time most days.
4. Breakfast GO POWER! – Eat breakfast to THINK-LEARN-GROW-PLAY
5. Discover Smart Servings! Recognize how sometimes it is not WHAT but HOW MUCH. Choose larger servings of foods lower in added fat and sugar.
6. Drink Think! Make a healthy SPLASH with a Drink Think. Choose water or low fat milk more often.

Find IDEAS to help kids build skills for these healthy habits by clicking here