what’s new? · building to learn about the skills each grade is focusing on during their pe ......
TRANSCRIPT
What’s New?
CATCH Tip
Ankeny YMCA Family Fun
Races
August 16, 2014
1102 N. Ankeny Blvd.,
Ankeny, IA
Hy-Vee Kids Triathlon
Championships
August 30, 2014
Gray’s Lake
Des Moines, IA
Hyveekidsfit.com/triathlons
Katie’s Crusaders
5k walk/run, 10k run
September 20, 2014
Waukee, IA
katiescrusaders.org
Volume 5, Issue 8
August 2014
We are wrapping up another summer and another grant year with Kohl’s!
The Healthy Cold Lunch Challenge finished on August 4 with three awesome
CATCHapalooza parties. The day campers participated in a scavenger hunt,
made two yummy snacks, and took home gel ice packs to use in packing
future cold lunches. Data on the challenge will be available next month. As
we prepare for the next grant year, we would like to know more about what
you want to see from All Kids Healthy. A brief survey will be coming out
soon to learn more about how you use our program and what you would like
to see changed, added, or improved. Please take a few minutes to complete
the survey as your input is what guides our programming!
As the school year kicks off, now is good time to make plans for using
CATCH activities in your program. Work with the PE teacher in your
building to learn about the skills each grade is focusing on during their PE
class. Find activities in the CATCH box that use the skills the children
are working on to help them improve their skills while having fun at the
same time. Keep in mind that skills like throwing and jumping rope look
different from a Kindergartner to a 5th grader! Finally, provide
encouragement for effort and many opportunities for them to practice
their skills.
Starting Your Child’s School Morning Right
I can’t believe summer is almost over and it’s time for kids to go back to school!
After the relaxed two months of summer break, getting ready for school in the morning can be tough
for children and parents. If you don’t get an efficient school morning routine in place as children begin
to go back to school, it may be difficult later to help them settle into a morning routine during the
school year. It is a part of a parent’s role to coach children on how to get out the door on time every
time. Besides helping with socks and putting on toothpaste, how can parents help children start their
morning with more energy and less stress for all of the family members? Here are a few easy back-to
-school morning routines to try.
Prepare the night before and wake up early.
Packing lunches, getting the children’s clothes and backpacks ready and
planning breakfast the night before will save time and avoid a stressful
morning. Setting the alarm for 15 minutes earlier than you usually do can
give you a little extra time to get everyone out the door without cutting into
sleep. This goes for both parents and children. Be sure your child has time to finish homework and
pack her backpack the night before instead of in the morning. The time your child wakes up is directly
related to bedtime for younger kids. You may want to start off the school year with an early bedtime
and early morning!
Freshen your mind and body with quick stretch in the morning.
Parent Page
Try five minutes of stretching in bed to help you and your child wake up
in the morning. Stretching helps you to awaken and stimulates the brain
to function. It can also help increase your energy level and reduce stress.
Below are some easy and simple stretches you can try with your kids.
Take deep breaths. This will increase oxygen intake and gently wake up
your body and your brain!
Make having a healthy breakfast into a habit.
Why bother with breakfast? Breakfast is brain power. This is a
great way to give the body the energy it needs before starting the
day. Children who eat breakfast tend to eat healthier and are more
likely to participate in physical activities. They also tend to have
fewer absences from school and make less trips to the school nurse
with stomach complaints. What they eat in the morning is important
too.
Check here to learn about 10 easy and simple breakfast recipes
that children will enjoy. Additionally, please refer to healthy lunch
options in the back of the newsletter.
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-
favorites/easy-breakfast-recipes-kids-00000000038639/
index.html
Kids Korner
Make a Morning Five chart! Trace your hand on
a sheet of paper in your favorite color. Write
a morning task on each finger. Hang your chart
somewhere you can see it easily to help you get
ready for school without the rush.
Brush your teeth!
Don’t forget to have
your children brush
their teeth after
breakfast. Not only
will their day start
the day fresh and
healthy, regular
brushing and flossing
will prevent dental
problems such as
cavities.
Have a great school year!
Healthy Lunch Options
Are you ready for some easy, healthy options for lunch? A little planning and preparation can make packing
lunch easier. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Good Old Sandwich—choose whole-grain bread, low-fat meats & cheeses. Add some lettuce or spinach,
onions, or sliced peppers. Mix it up using whole-grain pita pockets to stuff or tortillas to wrap your in-
gredients in.
Sandwich on a stick—put chunks of turkey or ham, cheese, and veggies on toothpicks.
Fruit kabobs—thread on pieces of fruit such as pineapple, grapes, berries, and melon.
Cold pasta salad—use whole-grain pasta, chunks of cheese & low-fat meat, and throw in some veggies.
Veggie options—get creative with shredded carrots, zucchini sticks, snap peas, and cucumbers.
Beverages—If you bring juice, choose only 100% fruit or veggie juice such as Juicy Juice, Capri Sun Su-
perV, V8, or V8 Fusion. Skim or 1% milk and water are great choices, too.
Mom/Dad-ables—like a Lunchable, but with healthy options packed by mom and dad. Use a divided stor-
age container and pack in small pieces of cheese and meat, veggies, and fruits. Cut into fun shapes with
mini-cookie cutters.
If you like squeeze yogurt, look for low-sugar options—most “kids” yogurt is high in sugar. Add your own
chopped fruit to containers of yogurt to keep the sugar content down.
Cereal mix—have several almost-empty boxes of cereal? Mix those last bits of cereal together with
some dried fruit to create a fun trail mix. Look for dried fruit without added sugar.
Substitute veggie chips or raw veggies for potato chips.
Food safety—remember to use ice packs to keep your food cold until lunch time.
For more ideas, check out the recipes section of the Kohl’s All Kids Healthy website.