Tips for Teaching Healthy Habits When School Is Out

By: NewsUSA

(NewsUSA) - Summer vacation: Many children and teens view this less-structured time as an opportunity to sleep late, watch TV and snack on whatever they choose.

This can present a challenge for working parents. Recent studies cite the need for parental involvement, especially during school vacations, in developing and reinforcing healthy habits for children at home.

"There are many resources available to parents that provide tips and information on getting into the game of health and fitness at home," said Dr. Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at the University of California at Davis. "The key is to introduce activities and a balanced diet in a manner that resonates with kids."

One resource is the "Triple Play Parents Game Plan," a health and wellness guide from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America that is designed to help parents demonstrate how eating right, keeping fit and forming positive relationships add up to a healthy lifestyle. Try some of these tips from the guide to help jumpstart healthy habits at home:

* Boost the blood flow. Try the 20-20-20 approach to physical activity to help children achieve their daily 60 minutes of physical activity.

Encourage them to walk for 20 minutes in the morning, shoot hoops for 20 minutes in the afternoon, then help with chores, such as vacuuming, for 20 minutes during the day.

* Show kids that facts can be fun. Turn information about healthy eating into a fun game for younger kids. Food group quizzes are a great teaching example.

Simply cut out pictures of foods and beverages in each food group from magazines. Next, ask your child to place the pictures into the correct food groups.

* Play skills games, such as "spelling baseball." In spelling baseball, two teams are formed, and the leader is the pitcher. The leader "pitches" a word to the first player. If the word is spelled correctly, the player advances to first base. Base runners advance by correctly spelling words. Three misspelled words are "outs" and bring the next team to "bat." After nine innings, the team with the most runs wins.

Developed specifically for home use, content for the "Triple Play Parents Game Plan" guide was adapted from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's program called "Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body and Soul." Underwritten by The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Foods, it is the largest wellness endeavor undertaken by the nonprofit organization in its 100-year history.

For additional tips and game ideas, or to obtain a free copy of the guide, visit www.bgca.org, www.makeeverydropcount.com or www.kraft.com.