Tips and Recipes

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month! Children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily, including aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening exercise. Regular physical activity can improve muscle, bone, and heart health, especially for growing children.¹

It can be difficult to meet physical activity recommendations, for both children and adults. Start with small physical activity goals for your children and as they increase their activity, they’ll get into healthy physical activity habits more easily. There are many ways you can help your children get more physical activity everyday. Here are a few ideas!

• Encourage school-aged children and adolescents to get involved in after-school sports. If they aren’t interested in playing organized sports, they may enjoy individual activities such as walking or running, yoga, and swimming. They can also play casual games with their friends like tennis, a pick-up basketball game (or other sport), and frisbee. The opportunities are endless!
• Get active as a family! Plan family outings to the park or other places where you can be active together. Also, you can try squeezing in a family walk after dinner to wind down together after a long day. This is a great time for your family to grow closer while fitting in physical activity!
• Make a list of activities your children enjoy–especially ones they can do inside on a rainy, hot, or cold day. Having a list of activities they can participate in inside can make sure they stay moving even if the weather is bad. Try activities like yoga, bodyweight and resistance band exercises, and dancing. Younger children can play simple games like Duck Duck Goose, Hide and Seek, and Musical Chairs.
• Set a good example for your children. When they see you making time to exercise (and enjoying yourself!), they’ll learn healthy exercise habits and see the importance of regular physical activity.

To learn more about National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, visit https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/be-active/npfsm2017/index.html.

How will you and your family be active this month?

References

1. https://healthfinder.gov/NHO/MayToolkit.aspx

Volleyball

Volleyball is a fun sport children can play inside a gym or outside on a sand court. It combines aspects of basketball, baseball, tennis, and handball, making it a unique game!

Whether you play in a gym or on a sand court, you can find places to play volleyball near you. Contact your local parks department to find locations near you. You may even be interested in making your own sand volleyball court for your children to play on! Even without a court, your children can practice volleyball skills and techniques.

Here are a few basic skills for your children to practice:

• Forearm Pass: hold hands together in front of you and join your arms from the elbows to the wrists; hit the ball with the fleshy part of your forearms
• Underhand Serve: step your non-dominant foot in front of your dominant (i.e. if you’re right-handed, step your left foot in front of your right). Hold the ball in your non-dominant hand at waist-level above the knee. Make a fist with your dominant hand, swing your arm behind you, then swing it forward to make contact with the ball, keeping your non-dominant hand still
• Set: hold your arms fully extended in the air in front of your head, palms facing up and elbows wider than the shoulders. Spread your fingers in a diamond shape and when you make contact with the ball, use your finger pads to push the ball into the air.

For more information, visit http://www.volleyball.com

Every Kid Healthy Week

Did you know that one in three children in the U.S. are overweight or obese? Every Kid Healthy Week celebrates schools’ efforts to promote health and wellness. This year, Every Kid Healthy Week is April 23-27. This is a great opportunity for you to encourage your children to Move More! Here are some ways you can get involved with Every Kid Healthy Week:

• Host a family fitness night–talk to your child’s school about providing the space. Try activities like obstacle courses, target throws, tug-of-war, jump rope, a water balloon toss, dancing, and relay races. You may even ask a fitness instructor to lead a fitness class!
• Gather your friends and neighbors for a Family Fun Run. Remind participants that it’s about fun and fitness–not a competition!
• Involve your community in a playground or park clean-up. This may be at a community park or playground space at your child’s school. Divide up tasks like yard work and picking up trash. Ask your child’s school about resources to provide additional activities or games at the park/playground, such as a soccer goal or basketball hoop.

Remember to involve your children in Every Kid Healthy Week–this is a great chance to spend time with your family while being active together and positively impacting the health of your community! For more information, visit http://everykidhealthyweek.org/.

How else can you promote Every Kid Healthy Week?

Chicken and Broccoli Quiche

Makes 2 quiches.
6 servings per quiche.
Serving size: 1/6 quiche
Ingredients:
2 9-inch ready made pie crusts, baked
4 eggs
1 cup low-fat or skim milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 package (10 ounces) frozen, chopped broccoli
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)
3/4 cup cooked, chopped chicken
3/4 cup shredded cheese
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake pie crusts according to package directions
2. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well.
3. Place frozen chopped broccoli in the microwave, cook according to package directions. Pour off the liquid.  Let cool, squeeze broccoli to remove more water. Mix broccoli with carrots and onions.
4. Layer the meat, vegetables, and cheese into bake pie crusts. Pour egg mixture over the ingredients.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until top is browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Butterfly Snacks

• Fill a re-sealable snack bag with two healthy treats (one on each side).
• Pinch the middle with a clothespin.
• You can decorate the clothespin to look like a butterfly with markers and twist ties.
• Try grapes, cheese cubes, baby carrots, celery, pretzels, oat cereal, dried cranberries, almonds and more!