Tips and Recipes

Exercise as a Family

With the month of June finally here, summer is beginning and Father’s Day is coming soon. Whether you’re enjoying the summer sun or celebrating a holiday like Father’s Day,  there are many ways you can Move More together this summer!

Fitting physical activity into your day can be hard, but trying activities and exercises that your children can also participate in can help ensure that the whole family stays active. With children finishing school and spending more time at home for the summer, consider trying activities like these that you can do with your children!

• Gardening: There are many vegetables and herbs you can grow at home during the summer. Building garden beds, digging soil, and watering plants can be hard work, especially in the summer sun. Try starting a garden at home with your family–you can assign jobs to each family member and work together to exercise while growing nutritious vegetables!
• At-Home Workout Exercises: Exercises like jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups are appropriate for children in elementary school and older and can be a great workout for both you and your children! You can do these exercises during commercial breaks or set assign time for a workout.
• Walking or Biking: Instead of driving, try walking or riding bikes when you and your family need to get somewhere this summer. Think about places you go that are within walking distance. Remember to wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water when you plan to be outside for awhile.
• Outdoor Group Games: Games that you need more room to play like relay races, Red Rover, “Red Light, Green Light,” “What Time Is It Mr. Fox,” and other group games are fun to try in the summer when it’s warm outside. Make sure you have an open, safe area to play in and you can enjoy these games as a family.

What other summertime activities can you play with your children this summer?

Summer Safety

Summer break is quickly approaching for school-aged children and teens. For many students, this means a break from school and extracurricular commitments and time to have fun and recover from the school year. Summer’s a great time for children to spend more time being physically active. With more freedom during this season comes more opportunities to practice safe play!

Here are some ways you and your children can ensure their safety this summer:

• Make sure children wear appropriate clothing for their activity. For example, if they attend a day-camp or overnight camp, ask about a packing list. Also, give them safety gear to wear like a Coast Guard approved life jacket and helmet appropriate for the activity they’re participating in.
• Teach children how to be safe around a campfire, such as not playing with matches or lighters.
• Have your children keep a water bottle with them and drink it regularly to stay hydrated. Make sure they take breaks from the outdoors to come inside and cool off. Also, have them wear and regularly re-apply sunscreen with SPF and UVA/UVB protection.
• For especially hot days, have children play outside in the morning or evening hours when it’s light outside but cooler than the hot afternoon.
• For teen drivers, remind them of the importance of wearing a seatbelt, not using their cellphone while driving, and obeying laws of the road as they drive to meet friends and attend activities.

For more safety tips, visit http://www.redcross.org/news/article/nv/las-vegas/Red-Cross-Offers-Safety-Tips-for-A-Safe-Memorial-Day-Weekend, https://www.safekids.org/blog/let-summer-fun-begin, and https://www.cdc.gov/family/kids/summer/index.htm.

Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend with your family!

Healthy and Safe Swimming Week

Swimming and water sports are great ways for children to be active once they’ve had swimming lessons and feel comfortable in the water. Swimming is an aerobic activity, which helps keep the heart strong and reduces chronic disease risk. It’s also a fun way to be active and stay cool outside during the heat of summer. Or, you can swim in an indoor pool regardless of the season! With any physical activity, safety needs to be a top priority to avoid accidents. Healthy and Safe Swimming Week is May 21-27 and exists to promote swimming and reduce its risks.

Here are some ways you and your family can say safe in the water:

• Make sure the pool is safe before swimming (trained staff present, safety equipment, posted inspection results, visible drains, proper pH). Use pH test strips to check the pool’s pH.
• If your child has diarrhea, make sure they stay out of the water. Cover open wounds with waterproof bandages.
• Shower before using the pool. Make sure children in diapers are wearing appropriate swim diapers and swim pants. For children that are not able to swim independently, use properly-fitting Cost Guard approved life jackets.
• Remind children not to put pool water in their mouths.
• Do not swim in natural bodies of water like oceans and lakes that are off-limits.

Most importantly, supervise your children while they’re in the water to prevent accidents! For more safety tips, visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/.

Safe Swimming!

Olive Oil Lemon Marinade

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon, or 3 Tablespoons of bottled lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of thyme, or lemon thyme (if available)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients in a small container.
2. When brushing on vegetables, swirl the mixture around and brush often to keep the ingredients combined.

Chicken and Fruit Salad

Make 8 Servings
Serving Size: 2/3 cup
Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 (20 – ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice, drained well
• 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, in 100% fruit juice, drained
• 3/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup halved seedless grapes
• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 large lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. in a large bowl, mix gently chicken, pineapple chunks, oranges, celery, and grapes.
2. In a separate bowl, mix low-fat mayonnaise and black pepper.
3. Gently stir mayonnaise into chicken mixture,
4. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator.
5. To serve, scoop 2/3 cup of chicken salad onto a lettuce leaf.