March Blog_2019

Blue's Blog March 2019
#bluesblog

March 10, 2019 - PDF Version

Hi everyone! The month of March is full of so many things that I enjoy – Read Across America Day to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday, Daylight Savings Time, St. Patrick’s Day, and the first day of Spring! It’s also when we celebrate National Nutrition Month. The Be Active Kids Clubhouse Team knows that in order to have a healthy mind and body, we need to not only move more but eat well too.

Our favorite way to make sure we choose nutritious foods for our meals is to try eating the rainbow.           What colors of the rainbow are on your plate today? We make sure we pay attention to serving sizes too! We enjoy eating snacks but know they shouldn’t replace a meal. One of our favorite serving size tips is to use snack size bags or containers when preparing snacks so that we eat the right amount. If you’re like my friends and me, we tend to get busier with our activities once the sunlight is out longer and are often eating more on the go. The good news is that you can still eat healthy meals away from home by making a plan together with your family that uses the Go, Slow, and Whoa way to think about food!

As our friends at the American Academy of Pediatrics say, “A healthy child becomes a healthy adult” and it’s with a team approach that a child will be both. The Be Active Kids Clubhouse Team wants you to know that we’re on your team cheering you on as you make healthier choices each day!

 

These are some of our favorite resources to help children and families move their bodies and learn about nutrition too:

“A Trip to The Farm” Active Story from the Be Active Kids Movement Guide (pg. 24)

 Be Active Kids Food Cards

 

Also, check out Feed the Caterpillar and Act Out the Stages of the Butterfly Activity by Angela Thayer from Teaching Mama.

 

I hope you’ll celebrate National Nutrition Month with my clubhouse friends and me throughout the month of March and keep fueling your body with the nutrients it needs to be the healthiest version of you! Share your pictures and ideas on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #beactiveblue and @beactivekids.   See you in April for Screen-Free Week and the Week of the Young Child! 

- Blue the Caring Cub

Testimonials

  • Preservice Teachers Learn to Use Be Active Kids in Limited Spaces

    I really enjoyed our class meeting. It was interesting to discover that you can do just about anything with children in the classroom where there may not be much space to encourage them to be active.  A change that I will make in my own life is to be more active, as well as my daughter. I will share this information with my friends that have children such as yoga animals, or Simon Says.

    Cathy Sesta, Parent & Child Care Provider
  • Early Childhood Physical Activity Institute

    Thank you for inviting me to be part of this year’s Institute. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the experience. You’re doing amazing work and I hope I’ll be able to continue contributing to it a bunch in the future.

    Rae Pica, www.movingandlearning.com
  • Plenty of Resources That I Can Use and Share

    This class was informative, and I look forward to being physically active with young children. On Friday, I volunteered at a Parents Night Out through my daughter's school. When I got there the kids were watching a movie. I got them up to play Simon Says and Red Light Green Light, however, after that I was stuck on what to do. I wish I had the knowledge I gained from this class, to have made it more exciting.

    I enjoyed your Land and Lake Activity.

    Venessa Wright, Parent & Child Care Provider
  • Be Active Kids Trainers Rock!

    I loved the training.  I would have loved it more if I had the other teachers from my center there also.  I am really looking forward to taking my kit to work and sharing it with my staff.  I liked Brittney, she reminded me of myself as far as being very active and motivated.  When I am at work with my little ones we stay busy all day.  I feel like singing my instructions and dancing my actions helps them to focus better on what I need for them to do.  Britney was great and I learned a lot from her. I am always trying to find new little ways to get the kids moving.

    Tiffany Daniel, Sandhill Community College
  • ECPAI

    The Early Childhood Physical Activity Institute was just wonderful!  Thank you again for including me in such an important effort to create and sustain leaders in EC physical activity. I would love to return to NC anytime that you think I can help. I enjoyed meeting the folks who work with you and hearing about all of the great things that are planned. 

    Linda Carson, Choosy Kids
  • Be Active Kids has Much to Offer

    Congratulations to you and everyone who has been promoting PA for young
    children in NC. You have much to be proud of here. Be Active Kids is an excellent source of ideas for promoting active play in unstructured settings. The Be Active Kids website also has resources on promoting unstructured active play. I encourage folks to review these resources. 

    Diane Craft, SUNY Cortland & Active Play Books