Food and Fun After School

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that promote fruits and vegetables in Unit 1, including arts and crafts, active games, suggested books, and snack time ideas. Have fun and dig in!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will eat more fruits and vegetables (5-a-day!).

Key activities include:
• Fruit and Vegetable Placemats
• Fruit and Vegetable Relay Games
• I’m going on a Picnic
• Find the Favorite
• Bingo
• Recipes and Taste Tests

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that promote physical activity in Unit 2, including arts and crafts, active games, and suggested books. Have fun and get moving!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will be more physically active.

Key activities include:
• Active Day Cartoons
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• We Belong to Many Groups
• Get Moving Relay

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that educate about sugar content in foods and promote healthy beverage choices in Unit 3, including arts and crafts, active games, suggested books, and snack time ideas. Have fun and dig in!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will drink fewer sweetened beverages and eat fewer sweets.

Key activities include:
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• Bowling for Sugar Smarts
• Suger Surprises
• Pour It Out
• Count It Up
• Recipes and Taste Tests

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that promote healthy fats in Unit 4, including arts and crafts, active games, suggested books, and snack time ideas. Have fun and dig in!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will choose foods with healthy fats when possible.

Key activities include:
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• Snatch the Healthy Fat
• Track the Trans Fat
• Food Label Collage
• Recipes and Taste Tests

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that promote whole grains in Unit 5, including arts and crafts, active games, suggested books, and snack time ideas. Have fun and dig in!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will eat more whole grain foods.

Key activities include:
• Mosaic Creations
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• Red Hen Relay
• La Milpa
• Make Flour
• Recipes and Taste Tests

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that promote healthy snacking in Unit 6, including arts and crafts, active games, suggested books, and snack time ideas. Have fun and dig in!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will choose healthy snack foods.

Key activities include:
• Super Snack Book
• Silly Snacks
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• Too Much “Slow” Food Tag
• Healthy House
• Commercial Mania
• Recipes and Taste Tests

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that promote fruits and vegetables in Unit 7, including arts and crafts, active games, suggested books, and snack time ideas. Have fun and dig in!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Key activities include:
• Build a Rainbow
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• Color Relay Games
• Fruity Freeze Tag
• Parts of the Plant
• Bingo
• Recipes and Taste Tests

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that educate about viewing less TV in Unit 8, including arts and crafts, active games, and suggested books. Have fun and stay active!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will watch less TV.

Key activities include:
• Power Up Your Body Poster
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• Power Up Charades
• Walk Around Town
• Tune Out Challenges

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that promote physical activity in Unit 9, including arts and crafts, active games, and suggested books. Have fun and get moving!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will “play hard” at least 3 times each week at afterschool.

Key activities include:
• Build an Activity Wheel
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• Play Soft, Play Hard
• What Happens When

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that promote water in Unit 10, including arts and crafts, active games, suggested books, and hydration ideas. Have fun and stay hydrated!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will drink water at every snack and when they are thirsty.

Key activities include:
• Cup Coolers
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• “Everyone Moves” Obstacle Course
• Gulp!
• Silly Water
• Taste Tests

There is guidance for program staff and ideas for connecting with families as well as several activity options for you to choose from that reinforce all of the messages from the Food & Fun lessons in Unit 11, including arts and crafts, active games, and suggested books. Have fun and stay healthy!

Download a PDF of this unit here.

Behavioral goal: Children will review health messages from the Food & Fun lessons that have been taught at afterschool.

Key activities include:
• Warm Up, Cool Down
• Mix and Mash
• Name Three!
• Healthy Steps
• Act Up!
• Taste Tests

Behavior Goal

Each unit lists a simple goal for children to achieve through the unit’s activities.

Key Messages

These are the sound bites for the unit theme. A great way to inform children of the new theme is to copy the key messages onto colorful paper for display in your program — post on a bulletin board, on the walls, or at your check-out area. Visual displays not only help the children identify with the new theme, but it reminds parents of your healthy program goals! Program staff should review the key messages and use them when they present the various activities. For instance, when serving snack the leader may remind children that “Fruits and vegetables make great snacks that are healthy for your body!” (a key message from Unit 1). There are many opportunities to infuse these key concepts throughout a program day or week. All staff should be familiar with them, even if they are not in charge of leading the Food & Fun activities.

Key Information for Program Staff

This important background information provides staff leaders with the “why” behind each unit. It also offers tips for presenting the activities, or things to keep in mind when discussing nutrition or physical activity concepts with children.

Activity Options for Children

1. Arts and Crafts involve coloring, cutting and pasting, or other creative projects. These activities allow leaders to introduce children to the various food or fitness concepts in a fun way.
2. Active Games get children running and moving while learning about the key messages of the unit. Relay-type races with modifications are one common way to integrate learning with movement. These activities are designed to involve all children in a way that eliminates individual competition. Modifications are provided for most games.
3. Other Group Games or Activities can be used in circle time or small groups to reinforce the learning concepts of the unit. Some of these activities are geared towards older children (upper elementary, 3^rd – 5^th grade) who have writing skills and/or the ability to understand more complex information.
4. Suggested Books can be used to complement the unit activities. You may make books available in a reading center, or read to the group during circle time. Instead of purchasing books, borrow them from your local library for free!
5. Snack Time is a great time to introduce new foods to children! Recipes are provided as the best hands-on way to involve children in snack preparation. Most recipes include commonly found ingredients and simple preparation methods, though some do involve cooking or advance preparation by adults (such as chopping vegetables). Programs can introduce families to healthy foods by preparing extras to serve during pick up, and by distributing the recipes.

Connect with Parents

It is crucial to involve and inform families about the steps that your program is making to positively influence the health of their children. To help you reach out to parents and other caregivers, each unit lists key messages for parents which support the unit objectives. Like the key messages for children, these may be printed onto colorful paper to display at the check-out area or on a parent board. They are also included in the Parent Communication newsletters and email messages section. Food & Fun 2^nd Edition suggests ways to connect with parents, and provides materials for communicating with parents that are available in English and Spanish:

1. Parent Engagement Activities- Suggestions for how to engage parents in the messages being taught in each unit. Experiment and be creative; come up with your own ideas or modify the suggested activities for each unit!
2. Newsletter articles- Available to cut and paste into your current program newsletter or as a stand-alone 1 page bulletin. These articles are available so you can send information about healthy eating or physical activity home each month. Available in English and Spanish.
3. Email messages- Get around the challenge of notices left in children’s backpacks by sending parents a simple message via email. These messages specifically address the unit key messages and activities while offering simple tips to involve families in the promotion of healthy foods and fitness behaviors. Available in English and Spanish.
4. Parent handouts- Provided for each unit topic of Food & Fun. These colorful sheets are another easy way to get health messages home to families. Available in English and Spanish.
5. Parent handbook- The handbook Food, Fun, & Family provides information for parents about how to help develop healthy eating, physical activity, and television habits at home. It also includes additional resources like information sheets and recipes. Available in English and Spanish.

There is also a section below completely dedicated to the parents. Have them check it out!

Activity Instructions

Instructions are provided for each activity or game and include information on the materials and advance preparation required, objectives of the game (if applicable), and instructions on how to conduct the activity or play the game. There are also lesson extensions to adapt the game for different age groups or space limitations.

Recipes and Taste Tests

Preparing and trying new foods with children is a great way to get them excited and interested in healthy foods. Children who help with meal or snack preparation are more likely to try their own creations! Use the Food & Fun 2^nd Edition Recipe and Taste Test Packet to find recipes to try in the program and share with families. Recipes are designed to complement the unit themes. The recipes are classified by level of kitchen equipment requirements so you can easily determine if you have the resources to make the snack at your after school program. For example, for Level 1 there is no cooking required, Level 2 is basic equipment (i.e. sink, fridge, microwave, blender, and/or toaster); and Level 3 requires a full kitchen (i.e., basic equipment plus stove). Each recipe lists the supplies needed along with the ingredients and instructions. Taste tests provide another fun and simple way of introducing children to new foods. Select foods that are easy to prepare and keep in mind that children can taste one new food or recipe, or compare similar foods (like “green vegetables” or “whole grain breads”). A taste test rating sheet, along with simple guidelines and ideas, are provided in each nutrition unit.

Remember to keep safety and sanitation in mind by washing hands and cleaning surfaces before handling food. Always keep sharp tools out of the hands of children.

Worksheets

Worksheets used in the learning activities are found at the end of the unit, along with any other supportive printouts that may be needed for a game or activity.

Environmental Standards

A poster of these standards is available here.

The aim of the Environmental Standards for Nutrition and Physical Activity are to help program leaders create healthier out-of-school environments for children by achieving 6 simple standards. These Environmental Standards are based on current scientific evidence about healthy eating and physical activity. These standards have been developed for part-day out-of-school time settings like sport programs and after school programs, but can easily be modified for full day programs like summer camps.

For each Environmental Standard below, we provide a brief rationale and a few suggested strategies for putting them into practice at your out-of-school time program. For more ideas on incorporating these standards into your program, check out these tip sheets!

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Environmental Standard #1: Increase physical activity.

Provide all children with at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Offer 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity 3 times per week.

Rationale

Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day, and they should participate in vigorous activity on at least 3 days per week. Out-of-school programs should provide all children with at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Offer at least 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity on 3 or more days per week.

Childhood is a crucial period for developing lifelong movement skills and healthy habits. Providing children with physical activity will help them build a foundation for overall health and well-being which can prevent the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Suggested strategies

• Schedule at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
• Use short activity breaks if you can’t plan for 30 minutes all at once.
• Convert cafeteria or classroom areas for dance or fitness if space is limited.

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Environmental Standard #2: Reduce sugary drinks.

Do not serve sugary drinks. Do not allow sugary drinks to be brought in during program time.

Rationale

Children often replace healthy drinks like water or milk with sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks, and fruit drinks. Fruit juice, even 100% fruit juice, contains as much sugar as soda. Fruit juice is not as healthy as eating whole fruits, which also contain fiber. Drinking too many sugar-sweetened drinks can lead to dental cavities and may increase the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Suggested strategies

• Offer water instead of sugary drinks every day.
• Prevent vending-machine use during program time by setting a policy in your parent and staff handbook.
• Restrict children, staff, or other partner organizations from bringing drinks in from outside of the program.
• If you do serve 100% juice, limit servings to 4 ounces per day.

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Environmental Standard #3: Promote water.

Serve water every day.

Rationale

Water is the best drink for children in out-of-school-time programs. It is calorie-free, hydrating, and low-cost! Replacing caloric beverages with water at snack time and meals saves money and is an easy way to eliminate calories from sugary drinks.

Suggested strategies

• Serve tap water – it costs only pennies!
• Provide water in a pitcher with cups at the snack/meal table every day.
• Teach kids to drink water whenever they are thirsty.

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Environmental Standard #4: Promote fruits and vegetables.

Offer a fruit and/or vegetable option at every meal and snack.

Rationale

Many children (and adults!) eat much less than the recommended 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Most U.S. children only eat about 2 1/2 servings per day. 100% fruit juice is not a good substitute for whole fruit because juice does not contain fiber.

Fruits and vegetables are packed with lots of vitamins and nutrients. They are also a great source of fiber, which helps you feel full. They protect against heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and some cancers.

Suggested strategies

• Use taste tests to learn kids’ preferences and to find new fruits and vegetables that kids like.
• Cut and peel fruits and vegetables before serving so they are easier to eat.

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Environmental Standard #5: Promote whole grains.

When serving grains (like bread, crackers, and cereals), serve whole grains.

Rationale

When serving grains (like bread, crackers, and cereal), serve whole grains! Read the nutrition labels and choose foods that list a whole grain first, like whole wheat, barley, oats, or rye. Whole grains contain fiber, vitamin E, and healthy fats. They help keep your blood sugar under control, arteries clear, and make you feel full longer. Refined “white” flour and sugar do not have the health benefits of whole grains.

Suggested strategies

• Select breads, crackers, and, cereals that list a whole grain as the first ingredient on the label (for example, whole wheat, barley, oats, or rye).
• Select foods containing at least 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of sugar or less per serving.

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Environmental Standard #6: Reduce screen time.

Eliminate broadcast and cable TV and movies. Limit computer and digital device use to homework or instructional time.

Rationale

Every day, 8- to 18-year-olds spend more than 5 hours on screen entertainment. Too much screen time is linked to unwelcome health harms. Watching TV may also influence children to make unhealthy food choices because they see a lot of advertisements for foods that are high in sugars and calories. Eliminate broadcast and cable TV and movies, and limit digital device time to only less than 1 hour for kids 2-5 years of age and 2 hours for kids 6-17 years of age each day.

Suggested strategies

• Remove TVs or cover them with a cloth so they can’t be seen.
• Try new indoor games or an arts and crafts project if weather limits outdoor playtime.
• Have a list of additional activities that children can do instead of having free time on the internet.

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Getting Started

While all staff should be expected to have a common understanding of the healthy objectives of the curriculum, it is important to work with the staff who deliver the curriculum to develop more in depth skills and knowledge. Note that there are discussion questions included in each of the sections below which can be used during trainings, meetings or one-on-one discussions with your staff. These discussion questions are designed as a jumping off point for conversations with the staff at your program.

Sometimes the hardest part of taking up a new program or curriculum is just getting started! Food and Fun After School has 11 units, each with lots of fun activities to try out. Although you can follow the month-by-month schedule on page 3 of the About Guide, you might want to start with units that seem most exciting to your staff. Getting started with topics that interest staff will likely lead to more use in the future!

Discussion Questions

• What unit from the Food & Fun curriculum is most exciting to you?
• What needs to be done to best prepare for success of this unit?

Kids Look up to Afterschool Staff

It is important that staff role model the healthy behaviors they are teaching in Food & Fun. This means participating in physical activity along with kids as well as eating and drinking healthy during the program time. It’s likely that the kids won’t take the curriculum messages seriously if they see staff sitting down during physical activity time, drinking soda during the program, or regularly talking about their love of French fries and sweets.

Discussion Questions

• What are some of the healthy decisions you have made recently?
• How might you want to change your current behavior to be healthier?

Considering the Diversity of the Children and Families You Serve

This is key to making Food & Fun relevant and useful. When you think about diversity this can mean the race, ethnicity, family income, disability status, age, and gender of the kids in your program. You might also think about the influences of urban or rural settings as well as neighborhoods. You can make sure to incorporate all kids’ experiences by having conversations about the types of foods and drink they have at home as well as the ways they get physical activity. Many of the lessons have prompts for these kinds of conversations, but they are a great way to start off any unit!

Discussion Question

• How can you create a safe environment that is conducive to healthy conversations about the nutrition and physical activity choices of the kids and families in your program?

Getting Other Staff On Board!

Getting other staff on board with healthy eating and physical activity changes is a challenge many programs face. Some staff members might be hesitant about their knowledge of what “healthy” means, while others might feel conflicted because they drink too much soda, don’t eat enough healthy foods, or spend more time in front of the television than being physically active. The good news is that Food & Fun teaches kids, family, and childcare staff a simple set of healthy goals to live by and provides fun activities and accessible information to help change behaviors and environments. Staff are encouraged to learn along with the children and families and make healthy changes in their own lives. Below you’ll find some simple tips for involving staff with Food & Fun!

Who & What?

All staff should understand the healthy messages of Food & Fun. Although the whole staff does not need to know how to deliver the curriculum, it is important for consistency and clear messaging that all staff know about the basic health objectives. One way to get started is to review the behavioral goals and key messages for kids at the beginning of each unit with your staff so they have a sense of what children are learning. You could also walk staff through the Environmental Standards for Nutrition and Physical Activity in Out-of-School Time Programs as a way to teach the aims and rationale of the curriculum.

Where and When?

Afterschool is a busy, bustling place! Try to incorporate review of the key messages or environmental standards into your current routine – maybe during a monthly staff meeting or during set up at the beginning of the afterschool day. The goals of Food & Fun are designed to be easily incorporated into the way the program runs and shouldn’t feel like a lot of extra work. You should also try to have trainings and periodic refreshers for staff who are in charge of delivering the curriculum. This way staff (new and old) will continue to feel confident about their knowledge and Food & Fun will start to become a regular part of your afterschool program.

Why and How?

Equipping staff with the knowledge and skills to successfully delivery Food & Fun has many benefits! First, staff will likely gain confidence and enthusiasm for implementing the curriculum. Reviewing key messages with the entire program staff will help with consistency and facilitate program change. With these pieces in places, the curriculum will be able to make a positive impact on children and their families. Try to make use of the many materials available in Food & Fun. There are staff tip sheets with practical strategies for making healthy changes in afterschool programs, and colorful posters to reinforce the environmental standards.

Talking about Nutrition and Physical Activity

Encourage staff to start each unit by teaching the key messages for kids. They should always try to focus on the positives of feeling great and being healthy over talk of losing weight. Try teaching staff to use kids’ questions as “teachable moments”-if they don’t know the answers they can always look them up with the resources in each unit. Check out these questions for ideas to start dialog with kids, and encourage staff to role play with one another for practice.

Food & Fun Questions for Kids

• What types of foods do you eat with your family?
• What is your favorite way to get physically activity?
• Why is it important to eat whole grains/be active etc?
• How can you try to eat more fruits/drink more water etc.?

Key Staff Resources

Food & Fun: Getting Staff on Board
Food & Fun: Staff Training
Food & Fun: Facilitators Guide
Food & Fun: Train-the-Trainer Slides (Part 1)
Food & Fun: Train-the-Trainer Slides (Part 2)

Unit 1: Fruits and Vegetables

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Fruits and Vegetables for Better Health” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Get your 5 servings of fruits and Veggies” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter.
3. Parent Handout: “Fruits and vegetables: Eat 5 or more servings for your health”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 2: Get Moving

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Get Moving! Feel Great!” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Get Moving!” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter.
3. Parent Handout: “Activate your Family!”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick-up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 3: Be Sugar Smart

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Sugar is Sweet. And Drinks are too?” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Be Sugar Smart” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter.
3. Parent Handout: “More whole grains, less added sugar for good health”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 4: Go For Good Fat

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Go For Healthy Fats!” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Fats in foods” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter.
3. Parent Handout: “Dietary Fats: The good, the bad, and the ugly.” Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 5: Go for Whole Grains

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Get the Whole Story on Whole Grains” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Go for Whole Grains” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter.
3. Parent Handout: “More whole grains, less added sugar for good health”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 6: Super Snacks

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Snacking the Healthy Way!” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Super Snacks” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter
3. Parent Handout: “Snacks: A Bridge Between Meals”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 7: Fruits and Veggies Mix it Up

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Fruits and Vegetables for Better Health” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Get your 5 servings of fruits and veggies!” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter
3. Parent Handout: “Fruits and vegetables: Eat 5 or more servings for health”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick-up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 8: Tune Out TV

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Tune Out Your TV for Better Health” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Tune Out the TV” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter
3. Parent Handout: “Take Control of TV (and other screen time)”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 9: Play Hard

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Get Moving! Feel Great!” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Get Moving!” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter
3. Parent Handout: “Activate your Family!”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick-up at your program’s sign-out area.

Unit 10: Hydration

1. Parent Communications: Ideas for parent engagement, as well as a newsletter, “Hydrated Kids are Healthy Kids” and email message, “Healthy Habits Power Tips: Stay Cool” to distribute to parents.
2. Newsletter Article: The formatted version of the parent Newsletter
3. Parent Handout: “Quenchers!”. Send this handout home in a mailing, insert it into your next newsletter, or have copies available for pick up at your program’s sign-out area.