PTAs across America are celebrating November by helping kids create healthy lifestyle habits; an initiative that any Parent Teacher Group can get behind. Many kids spend the majority of their daylight hours in school, where they will often have two of their daily meals. How can Parent Organizations help kids make changes to their lifestyles that will help them grow and learn?
The PTA Healthy Hydration Program
When most people think of health they automatically think of diet and exercise, but there is one more important issue to consider — hydration. With all the healthy running and playing kids love to do, they can lose a lot of water throughout the day. Unfortunately, the school water fountain may not be enough to keep active kids hydrated. What can your PTA, PTO, or Booster Club do to help?
This year, the National PTA has teamed up with Nestlé to create a Healthy Hydration Program to provide water and to educate students on the importance of drinking water. This month the National PTA is giving 25 local PTAs $1,000 grants to host their own Healthy Hydration Event.
Winning PTAs will use their grants to implement the Healthy Hydration Program. Your Parent Teacher Group can also take this opportunity to teach kids about the importance of recycling and taking care of the planet with recycling bins for proper water bottle disposal.
If you’re not a PTA you won’t be eligible for the grant. However, you can always create a healthy hydration program with similar concepts within your own schools.
The 21-Day Healthy Snack Challenge
A hungry student is an unfocused student, but not all snacks will help students stay focused and energized. Additionally, sometimes kids will refuse healthy snacks because they don’t taste as good. You can make snacking fun by issuing a challenge to your students and faculty. One school district in North Texas has teamed up with Medical City Children’s Hospital in a 21-Day Healthy Snack Challenge. Not only are they encouraging kids to make healthy choices, but the school faculty too! Parents can take this fun challenge and use it to introduce new foods to picky eaters.
Some PTOs of smaller schools have stepped up to create another type of healthy lifestyle program. With the efforts of many daily volunteers, a No Fuss Lunch program was created by The Closter PTO. For a low food fee, parents can order lunch items ahead of time for their kids. Healthy, kid-friendly and nutritious lunches are provided throughout the year.
*IMPORTANT REMINDER* Your healthy lifestyle program not only needs to provide healthy food options but should be conscious and attentive to food allergies.
Guest Speakers Can Inspire Kids To Be Healthier
Kids love to learn from new people, especially ones they deem “cool.” Help kids learn the importance of physical activity by inviting athletes from local sports teams as guest speakers. Guest athletes can educate students on how they can stay fit and talk about the importance of staying active.
Don’t have a local team? Look no further than your local high school! Try asking one of your nearby high schools to send their own healthy kids from different school sports teams. If there’s time, and if the guests are willing, kids would likely benefit from some teachable playtime. Perhaps guests can give students pointers on how to throw, catch, dribble a ball, or give a wicked serve. This type of fun can easily spread to a love of sports and activity.
Being healthy is a lifestyle and ongoing effort. Although kids likely don’t have the discipline or know-how to do so on their own, your PTA or PTO can pave the way to creating healthy habits early on. If you decide to host a Healthy Hydration Event or other health-related event, consider protecting it with AIM Event Insurance. Just as being healthy helps protect your body, AIM Insurance works to protect your PTA, PTO, or Booster Club.
Celebrate PTA Healthy Lifestyle Month by helping your kids make healthy lifestyle habits alongside The National PTA this November.
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