Tips, Tools and Activities

Celebrate the month of May with a vibrant flower arrangement to brighten each day. Set aside family time to create a flower arrangement, but think outside of the traditional ‘bouquet.’ Gather a variety of different and fun materials (tissue paper, pipe cleaners, fruit and veggies, bubble wrap). Think about a creative container to hold the flowers (jar, soup can, water bottle, yogurt container). Combine all the new found supplies and put together a family master piece. Capture the creative fun with a family photo that features the arrangement.

Play Every Day

The summer months are associated with an abundance of outdoor active play. In reality, more often than not, children are less active outside of the school year. More than ever families need to plan for both organized and impromptu activities that move the body. Take note of active play opportunities that happen this month and determine how you can keep these ‘play dates’ during the summer. For example, when picking up children from school is there time set aside to play on the playground or run through the park on the way home? Don’t drop these activities once the school year ends. Continue to have these mini physical activity breaks to keep your bodies healthy and moving.

Q&A

Why is soda not a good option for my children?

There are many opportunities every day to provide children with food and beverage choices that are both within their recommend daily caloric intake and that provide healthy vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that help them grow and thrive. Ideally their calories should come from healthy food choices that are high in healthy energy and low in 'empty' calories -- food/beverages that our bodies do not require. Everybody has an amount of energy (or calories) they need to consume to keep their bodies healthy and active. So when you are thinking about the choices available for your children, go for foods that provide a lot of nutrition (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy) and water. Aim to meet their energy needs through food compared to filling up on liquids that usually do not provide a significant amount of nutrition.

Sleep Well

Spend some time getting extra zzz’s this month to allow your body to rejuvenate just in time for the busy summer months. Sleeping longer and better not only helps kids learning, but can also aide all of us in our physical activity routines. Better sleep can improve physical function; assist with athletic performance and be helpful in coordination and balance. So not only are we helping our bodies and minds rest when getting enough sleep, but we are setting ourselves up for a productive family walk or bike ride the next day.

Eat Healthy   •   Play Every Day   •   Get Together   •   Go Outside   •   Sleep Well