Gold Medal Schools - Keeping Kids Active

It's no secret that the obesity rate in our society is skyrocketing. Did you know that one out of every four children in Utah is obese or at high risk of becoming obese? If nothing is done to reverse this trend, our children will be the first generation to have a shorter life span than their own parents.What's causing this epidemic? Is it TV and video games? Partly. Is it because parents are working long hours and kids are left to buy sweetened sodas and supersize meals? Partly. Is it because physical education in our schools is lacking? Partly. It's not an easy question to answer.

What's the answer? Dedicated parents, teachers, community leaders and others are searching for innovative creative ways to reduce the epidemic. Gold Medal Schools is the first of it's kind to address childhood obesity in the classroom and at home.

What can parents and caregivers do? First and foremost, parents, caregivers, and sibilings set the standard for healthy eating and physical activity both in the home and outdoors.

Need some ideas on how to get your children more physically active in the home? Consider the following:

Limit the hours of television watching, video games, game boys, etc. to an hour a day or less.
Make the inside chores as active as you can. Wiping down walls, hand polishing wood floors, cleaning the stairs, and taking out the garbage are good examples. Provide as much up and down movement as you can. Teach your child how to properly squat when picking up items on the floor. It not only saves the back, it strengthens the big muscles in the lower body!
Find as many "outside" chores as you can for your children. Here are some examples:
~~~Rake leaves
~~~Look for bottle caps
~~~Clean hair, dirt, and debris from drains with a brush
~~~Garden - weed, water, etc. Give your child a specific portion of the flower or vegetable garden for their own. You will be surprised at just how much energy your child will invest in this project, plus the pride it will generate to their self esteem!
Give action orientated gifts for birthdays and other celebrations. Jump ropes, tennis rackets, a mini-trampoline, even a membership to a local gym or WMCA. One of the very best action orienated things you can do is install a basketball hoop. Then just stand back and watch the kids come to play in your yard with your children after school.
Be ready for boredom with action ideas. A scavenger hunt, a recycle walk to pick up aluminum cans, sweeping the sidewalk for an aging neighbor.

Here are a few more age specific ideas:
2-3 year old children	3 -5 year old children	6-9 year old children	10-13 year old children
Your little one will model almost everything you do. This is the best time to begin encouraging activity. Walking. There's nothing more fun than going for a walk with your children. Talk with them about what they see. Their view area is much different than yours. Gently wressle with them. Play on the floor inside or outside! Help them learn to swim in their kiddie pool. Or better yet, take swimming lessons with them at your neighborhood pool. Children love to swing. If you have a tree in your yard, consider putting a tire swing up! Dig in the dirt with them. Shoveling, filling pails, dumping dirt are great activities! Exercise your family pet with them. One of the greatest gifts you can give your family is a loving, friendly dog which needs to be walked!	Teach your little one how to skip. Skipping increases the heart rate! Teach hopskotch. If you don't know how to draw one, ask your neighbor! Teach leapfrog. Run with your child. Play "Simon Says". For example, Simon Says run and touch the gate. Play "Follow the Leader". Have a scavenger hunt and look for rocks, leaves, even bottle caps. Encourage creative and imaginative games! Let your child "make up" a family game. Then get outside with them and play! Remember, play is for fun, and winning isn't the goal here. If winning is the only goal, the child will tire and become bored if they can't win. Help them set up an obstacle course in your back yard. Big cardboard boxes work wonderful for crawling around in. Keep safety in mind. Don't use ladders, hoses, and other garden equipment.	Children this age love to play in groups. Here are some ideas: Dance with them. Teach them simple steps. They aren't too young to learn squaredancing. Lower your basketball hoop to a level they can reach. Use soft balls and teach them how to run, jump, and throw it through the hoops. Doing this in groups will also teach them it's okay to lose. Teach them how to ride a bike. If you don't have one, put an ad in the paper, or even check the thrift stores in the area. Don't forget the helmet! Go on a neighborhood sight seeing walk or bike ride. Pick a family in your neighborhood and spend the day doing outdoor chores they can't get done. Make it a family project.	This can be a tough age when you are battling TV and video games. Appeal to their sense of fun. Find out what kind of family fun they like, then make it into an activity! Instead of making it a competition, just invite them in the backyard to shoot some hoops. Learn what likes/dislikes your child has. It's pretty difficult to teach them how to play badmitton if they hate every minute of it. This is a great time to go biking with them. Explore the hiking and biking trails in Tooele with your family. Did you know there are at least 25 right out your back door? Find out what community events there are in the neighborhood. Volunteer to walk with them to the park, if possible.

Tooele County Health Department Division of School and Family Health
151 North Main Street • Tooele Utah • 84074
(435) 277 - 2310 • Fax (435) 277-2304