September Blog_2019

Blue's Blog September 2019

#bluesblog

September 6, 2019 - pdf version

 

Hi everyone! Did you know that September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month? My clubhouse friends and I are joining advocates across the nation to bring awareness to the importance of obesity prevention through tools and resources that allow communities to support children and families on their journey towards good health!  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many factors can have an impact on childhood obesity. For some children and families, obesity may be influenced by the following:

  • Too much time spent being inactive
  • Lack of sleep
  • Lack of places to go in the community to get physical activity
  • Easy access to inexpensive, high calorie foods and sugary beverages
  • Lack of access to affordable, healthier foods

 

Thankfully, we have many friends across North Carolina and in other states that are champions for helping children and families gain access to the tools and experiences that will help them to live healthier lives. Check out North Carolina’s statewide movement, Eat Smart Move More, for resources that promote increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play, and pray.  The Eat Smart Move More multidisciplinary team has a vision of a state where healthy eating and active living are the norm, rather than the exception. Their mission is to reverse the rising tide of obesity and chronic illness among North Carolinians by helping them to eat smart, move more, and achieve a healthy weight.


How will you eat smart and move more in September? My clubhouse friends and I plan to eat smart by enjoying some of the fruits and vegetables that are currently in season in North Carolinasuch as delicious apples, muscadine grapes, cucumbers, and cabbage. We plan to move more by spending our after school time and weekends doing family fitness activities together instead of spending too much time on screens. There are no rules when it comes to how you are active with your family and friends. You can walk around the block, ride bikes or scooters, practice yoga poses, have a dance party, participate in a PlayDaze (a day dedicated to play for the sake of playing), and more! The creative opportunities for being active are endless.

For more information on active play ideas, check out our Be Active Kids Pocket Playcards and our daily posts on our Be Active Kids Facebook page.

Keep being active, eating healthy foods, and encouraging your family and friends to do the same!  Share your pictures and ideas on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using #caughtbeingactive, #wheresblue,  and @beactivekids.  

See you in October for Farm to School Month and celebrating the beginning of fall! 

 

- 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