What’s New?

CATCH Tip

Ankeny YMCA Family Fun

Races

August 16, 2014

1102 N. Ankeny Blvd.,

Ankeny, IA

Hy-Vee Kids Triathlon

Championships

August 30, 2014

Gray’s Lake

Des Moines, IA

Hyveekidsfit.com/triathlons

Katie’s Crusaders

5k walk/run, 10k run

September 20, 2014

Waukee, IA

katiescrusaders.org

Volume 5, Issue 8

August 2014

We are wrapping up another summer and another grant year with Kohl’s!

The Healthy Cold Lunch Challenge finished on August 4 with three awesome

CATCHapalooza parties. The day campers participated in a scavenger hunt,

made two yummy snacks, and took home gel ice packs to use in packing

future cold lunches. Data on the challenge will be available next month. As

we prepare for the next grant year, we would like to know more about what

you want to see from All Kids Healthy. A brief survey will be coming out

soon to learn more about how you use our program and what you would like

to see changed, added, or improved. Please take a few minutes to complete

the survey as your input is what guides our programming!

As the school year kicks off, now is good time to make plans for using

CATCH activities in your program. Work with the PE teacher in your

building to learn about the skills each grade is focusing on during their PE

class. Find activities in the CATCH box that use the skills the children

are working on to help them improve their skills while having fun at the

same time. Keep in mind that skills like throwing and jumping rope look

different from a Kindergartner to a 5th grader! Finally, provide

encouragement for effort and many opportunities for them to practice

their skills.

Starting Your Child’s School Morning Right

I can’t believe summer is almost over and it’s time for kids to go back to school!

After the relaxed two months of summer break, getting ready for school in the morning can be tough

for children and parents. If you don’t get an efficient school morning routine in place as children begin

to go back to school, it may be difficult later to help them settle into a morning routine during the

school year. It is a part of a parent’s role to coach children on how to get out the door on time every

time. Besides helping with socks and putting on toothpaste, how can parents help children start their

morning with more energy and less stress for all of the family members? Here are a few easy back-to

-school morning routines to try.

Prepare the night before and wake up early.

Packing lunches, getting the children’s clothes and backpacks ready and

planning breakfast the night before will save time and avoid a stressful

morning. Setting the alarm for 15 minutes earlier than you usually do can

give you a little extra time to get everyone out the door without cutting into

sleep. This goes for both parents and children. Be sure your child has time to finish homework and

pack her backpack the night before instead of in the morning. The time your child wakes up is directly

related to bedtime for younger kids. You may want to start off the school year with an early bedtime

and early morning!

Freshen your mind and body with quick stretch in the morning.

Parent Page

Try five minutes of stretching in bed to help you and your child wake up

in the morning. Stretching helps you to awaken and stimulates the brain

to function. It can also help increase your energy level and reduce stress.

Below are some easy and simple stretches you can try with your kids.

Take deep breaths. This will increase oxygen intake and gently wake up

your body and your brain!

Make having a healthy breakfast into a habit.

Why bother with breakfast? Breakfast is brain power. This is a

great way to give the body the energy it needs before starting the

day. Children who eat breakfast tend to eat healthier and are more

likely to participate in physical activities. They also tend to have

fewer absences from school and make less trips to the school nurse

with stomach complaints. What they eat in the morning is important

too.

Check here to learn about 10 easy and simple breakfast recipes

that children will enjoy. Additionally, please refer to healthy lunch

options in the back of the newsletter.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-

favorites/easy-breakfast-recipes-kids-00000000038639/

index.html

Kids Korner

Make a Morning Five chart! Trace your hand on

a sheet of paper in your favorite color. Write

a morning task on each finger. Hang your chart

somewhere you can see it easily to help you get

ready for school without the rush.

Brush your teeth!

Don’t forget to have

your children brush

their teeth after

breakfast. Not only

will their day start

the day fresh and

healthy, regular

brushing and flossing

will prevent dental

problems such as

cavities.

Have a great school year!

Healthy Lunch Options

Are you ready for some easy, healthy options for lunch? A little planning and preparation can make packing

lunch easier. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Good Old Sandwich—choose whole-grain bread, low-fat meats & cheeses. Add some lettuce or spinach,

onions, or sliced peppers. Mix it up using whole-grain pita pockets to stuff or tortillas to wrap your in-

gredients in.

Sandwich on a stick—put chunks of turkey or ham, cheese, and veggies on toothpicks.

Fruit kabobs—thread on pieces of fruit such as pineapple, grapes, berries, and melon.

Cold pasta salad—use whole-grain pasta, chunks of cheese & low-fat meat, and throw in some veggies.

Veggie options—get creative with shredded carrots, zucchini sticks, snap peas, and cucumbers.

Beverages—If you bring juice, choose only 100% fruit or veggie juice such as Juicy Juice, Capri Sun Su-

perV, V8, or V8 Fusion. Skim or 1% milk and water are great choices, too.

Mom/Dad-ables—like a Lunchable, but with healthy options packed by mom and dad. Use a divided stor-

age container and pack in small pieces of cheese and meat, veggies, and fruits. Cut into fun shapes with

mini-cookie cutters.

If you like squeeze yogurt, look for low-sugar options—most “kids” yogurt is high in sugar. Add your own

chopped fruit to containers of yogurt to keep the sugar content down.

Cereal mix—have several almost-empty boxes of cereal? Mix those last bits of cereal together with

some dried fruit to create a fun trail mix. Look for dried fruit without added sugar.

Substitute veggie chips or raw veggies for potato chips.

Food safety—remember to use ice packs to keep your food cold until lunch time.

For more ideas, check out the recipes section of the Kohl’s All Kids Healthy website.