food and fun afterschool curriculum developed by the harvard school of public health in...

Food and Fun Afterschool Curriculum

Developed by the Harvard School of Public Health in collaboration with the YMCA

Training: Part 1Improving nutrition and physical activity

for children in afterschool programs

Copyright 2008 YMCA of the USA. The Food and Fun Afterschool Curriculum is jointly copyrighted by President and Fellows of Harvard College and YMCA of the USA.

Food and Fun Afterschool CurriculumWhy is the curriculum important? Research shows that kids do not consume enough healthy foods

& drinks, spend too much time in front of the screen, and get less physical activity than they need

Schools and community organizations are looking for creative ways to help children and families develop healthy habits

Afterschool and other out-of-school time programs are ideal settings for promoting healthy nutrition and physical activity environments

The Food & Fun Afterschool Curriculum materials are designed to support these healthy environments and teach kids and families about positive nutrition and physical activity behaviors

Food & Fun Training: Part 1


Training — Part 1 Objectives Learn about the variety Food & Fun activities and materials Understand how the materials fit with a current afterschool

curriculum or youth programming Understand the Food & Fun health messages Make a plan for how to get started with Food & Fun



Curriculum Components

Afterschool activities for kids

Parent communications

Nutrition and physical activity planning and tracking tools

• Monthly nutrition and physical activity planning tool

• Family engagement planning tool

• Observe what’s going on at your program and others!



The Basics

Designed for children in grades K-5 Focused on 7 simple science-based healthy eating and

physical activity environmental standards 11 units with over 70 activities to pick and choose from Encourages healthy behaviors through active play,

literacy and math skills development, creative learning, and hand-on snack time activities

User-friendly, flexible format and instructions Lesson extensions make activities easily adaptable

across program settings and diverse populations



Background

Before developing Food & Fun, researchers at Harvard School of Public Health held focus groups and interviews with childcare and afterschool staff

Key issues that emerged included:• Major opportunities to integrate lessons are during snack,

physical activity time, arts & crafts, and homework periods• Storage space and budgets are limited at most locations• Activities usually happen in 15-20 minute intervals• Parents want to get health information in a variety of ways

When Food & Fun was complete researchers tested the materials in childcare and afterschool programs



Key features: Activities are fun, affordable and simple Health messages are easy to understand

and based on the latest science Activities can easily integrate into many

parts of the afterschool day Each unit has opportunities to enhance

academic skills Food & Fun can be used on its own or to

complement other ongoing curricula Many tools and tips to connect with

families



Unit Themes: Fruits and vegetables – Take a Bite! & Mix it up Physical activity – Get Moving & Play Hard Sugar-sweetened drinks – Be Sugar Smart Healthy & unhealthy fats – Go for Good Fat Whole grains – Go for Whole Grains Healthy snacking – Super Snacks Reduce TV viewing – Tune out TV Keep hydrated with water – Be active, stay cool


Activity Options for Children


Variety of ways for kids to have fun while learning about nutrition and physical activity

Arts and crafts: allow leaders to introduce messages in fun and creative way

Active games: designed to involve all children in active play

Group games & activities: can be used at circle time or in small groups to reinforce unit themes

Books: promote literacy and healthy messages Snack time activities: hands-on way to introduce new

foods and get kids interested in healthy eating

Parent Communication Tools

Many ways to connect with families about nutrition and physical activity

Engagement activities tailored to each unit’s healthy goals Email messages Newsletter articles Parent handouts Family handbook Most parent materials available in English and Spanish



Health Messages


Short, simple, positive, and motivational!

NOT lectures, negative, guilt producing, or humiliating

Encourage kids to feel good about healthy eating, drinking and physical activity

Foster an interest in trying new foods, drinks, and activities

Develop healthy behaviors early in life

Emphasize that being healthy can help kids feel strong and fit, improve moods, promote learning. It’s also FUN!


Food and Fun Afterschool CurriculumHealth Messages


Unit Themes: Fruits and vegetables – Take a Bite! & Mix it up Physical activity – Get Moving & Play Hard Sugar-sweetened drinks – Be Sugar Smart Healthy & unhealthy fats – Go for Good Fat Whole grains – Go for Whole Grains Healthy snacking – Super Snacks Reduce TV viewing – Tune out TV Keep hydrated with water – Be active, stay cool


Guidelines Reflect Current Science

2006 American Heart Diet & Lifestyle Recs

2006 USDA Food Guide Pyramid

2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

2010 White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report

2010 Dietary Guidelines

Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign


Vegetables and fruitsEnvironmental StandardServe a vegetable or fruit at every meal or snack

Why is it important?• Contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber that keep kids and adults healthy• Protect against heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, some cancers

Suggested strategyUse taste tests to learn kids’ fruit and vegetable preferences

Food & Fun key messages in Units 1 & 7 Go for Five! Eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables (combined) each day. Try to eat a fruit or a vegetable with every meal and snack. Just take a bite! Don’t be afraid to try a new fruit or vegetable – chances are

you’ll like it. Fruits and vegetables come in lots of colors. Try to eat as many different

colors as you can.


Healthy beveragesEnvironmental StandardServe water every day

Why is it important?• Water is the best way to keep kids hydrated• It is calorie-free and almost cost free from the tap!

Suggested strategyServe water in a pitcher with cups at the snack table every day

Food & Fun key messages in Unit 10 Water is the best thirst quencher Water and low fat milk are the best drinks to have at snacks and meals Drink water when you are thirsty Drink water instead of juice or soda at every snack and meal


Healthy beveragesEnvironmental StandardDo not serve sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, sweetened teas, fruit punch, fruit drinks, and sports drinks

Why is it important?• Sugar-sweetened drinks are the top source of added sugar in kids’ diets• Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with obesity in children• They provide a lot of calories with little to no nutritional benefit

Suggested strategyOffer water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages every day and create rules that restrict the use of vending machines or sugary drinks brought from home

Food & Fun key messages in Unit 3 Drinks like soda, fruit drinks and sports drinks are loaded with sugar Eating and drinking too much sugar is not healthy for your body and it can

cause cavities Juice is not as healthy as it seems. It can have as much sugar as soda


Focus on healthy dietary fats


Environmental StandardDo not serve foods with trans fats

Why is it important?• Trans fats have many harmful effects on the body and no health benefits• They are commonly found (and sometimes hidden) in packaged bakery

products and deep fried foods

Suggested strategyRead nutrition labels and avoid foods with the words “partially hydrogenated

oil” on the ingredient list. They mean the food contains trans fats.

Food & Fun key messages in Unit 4 You need to eat fat to keep your body healthy, but not all fats are the same. Fats from fish, nuts, and seeds area healthy for your body. Limit fats from animal sources like butter, whole milk, and red meat. Do not eat trans fats found in fast food like French fries and baked goods

like cookies.

Whole grains


Environmental StandardWhen serving grains (like bread, crackers, and cereals), serve whole grains

Why is it important?• Whole grains contain fiber, vitamins, and healthy fats • They can lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes • Whole grains help you feel full longer

Suggested strategySelect bread, crackers, and cereals that list a whole grain at the first ingredient.

Examples are whole wheat, barley, oats, and rye.

Food & Fun key messages in Unit 5 Whole grains are important because they help you feel full longer and make

your body healthy. Eat whole grains (like whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat

crackers, and brown rice) instead of refined grains (like white bread, muffins, pasta, and white rice) whenever possible.

Staying active


Environmental Standard• Provide all children with at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day• Offer 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity at least 3 days per week

Why is it important?• Kids 6-17 years old need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day• Regular physical activity is important for preventing chronic diseases like

heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis

Suggested strategySchedule at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day

Food & Fun key messages in Units 2 & 9 Moving your body is fun and helps your body be healthy and strong All types of activities like playing, dancing, and sports are good for you Do something active every day Doing activities that make you sweat and breathe hard will make you strong

and keep your bones and heart healthy

Staying active


Environmental Standard• Eliminate broadcast and cable TV and movies• Limit computer time to less than 1 hour each day

Why is it important?• Kids should spend no more than 2 hours each day watching TV, playing

video games, or surfing the internet.• Screentime can lead to overeating, less physical activity, and overweight• TV watching may influence kids to make unhealthy food choices because

they see a lot of ads for foods that are high in sugars and calories

Suggested strategyTry new indoor active games or an arts and crafts project if weather limits

outdoor play time

Food & Fun key messages in Unit 8 Moving your body keeps you fit Do something active instead of watching TV, playing video games, or

spending time on the computer

Food & Fun Training Videos Guide staff through the curriculum units, behavior goals, key

messages & ways to engage families Each 10 minute video includes demonstrations of several

activities being implemented in afterschool programs Food & Fun also has a YouTube station where you can view all

of our training videos 6 segments highlight the main topics of Food & Fun:

• 1: Introduction • 2: Fruits and Vegetables • 3: Physical Activity and Screen Time • 4: Water • 5: Healthy and Unhealthy Fats • 6: Whole Grains

Part 1: Training Trainers

Food & Fun Online Staff can access all Food & Fun activities and resources for

free at foodandfun.org Site was developed in summer 2011 & is continually updated Learn section: program staff can access the 11 teaching units,

handouts for families, info on the health standards Parents can access our Food, Fun and Family resources in the

Learn section for ideas for healthy eating & activity at home The Change section has tools to help staff & parents assess

how healthy their program & home environments are Staff will also find tip sheets for making healthy changes and

guides on changing program policy in the Change section.

Part 1: Training Trainers

http://www.foodandfun.org/

Getting Started at your Program


Training resources Where to find themTraining slides Right here! Change section of foodandfun.org

Training videos Change section of foodandfun.orgFood & Fun Video Channel on YouTube

Food & Fun Facilitator’s Guide Change section of foodandfun.org

Getting Staff on Board Learn section of foodandfun.org

About Guide Learn section of foodandfun.org

Environmental Standards for Nutrition and Physical Activity in Out-of-School Time Programs

Learn section of foodandfun.org

Key Messages for Staff First webpage of each unit in Learn section of foodandfun.orgPage 4 of each unit on CD

Healthy Places Health Kids poster Change section of foodandfun.org

Tip sheets & quick guides Change section of foodandfun.org

Policy Writing guide Change section of foodandfun.org

Your Assignment . . .

Spend 15 minutes brainstorming & planning for how to use Food & Fun at your program

Try out the curriculum at your programShare what you learned with other staff at

your programReport anything you try out on the monthly

Nutrition & Physical Activity Planning Tool


http://www.foodandfun.org

www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource

Come visit us!





http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource

food and fun afterschool curriculum developed by the harvard school of public health in...

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