It’s holiday time and we are all in the malls shopping for gifts. With the economy still recovering and the unemployment rate still pretty high, money is tight all over.

But there are gifts that kids and even adults can give that don’t cost money. The gift of your time doing something special can be a very personal and special gift. This is a great way to let kids be involved and realize the value of their time.

“Gift of time” presents ( or I should really say coupons) teach kids some very good lessons:

• kids can do things that have value
• a gift is not always about money
• giving a “gift of time” certificate requires some thought and creativeness. And that is part of the gift!
• loved ones feel very special when they get a gift that requires you to really give of yourself!

Print free gift of time coupon certificates designed for kids!

We have  also included a great list of ideas to help kids get started. Just print out the certificate and help them fill it in for a free, creative and meaningful gift to give this holiday season.

Free holiday printable gift of time coupon certificates for kids

It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow and the kids will be home from school for a few days.

If the kids are home and playing on the computer, video or watching TV, have them try playing some games that will teach them about eating healthy in a fun way.

Using games is not a new concept in helping kids learn important subjects like math, reading, typing etc. But nutrition is an important subject that kids need to learn for healthy living.

Learning about nutrition doesn’t have to boring or something your kids protests. It can really be a fun experience and by making it fun, kids begin to create a positive association with learning nutrition and fun. This along with learning how to create a balanced meal, why it is important and how energy and activities affect our bodies begins to give them the tools they need to make healthy choices.

I made our kids’ nutrition games and healthy tools for parents completely free because as a nurse, I don’t want there to be any reason for a child or parent to not have access to these fun learning tools. Kids can be introduced to our characters and educational materials over Thanksgiving by playing our online games or with our new free printable Thanksgiving coloring pages and fun nutrition activities.

Happy Healthy Thanksgiving from Nourish Interactive

Happy healthy Tahnksgiving

Back to school time can signify hectic schedules, homework and lots of eating on-the-go, but it doesn’t mean your family can afford to slack off on their physical fitness or healthy lifestyle. Jango Mango, official mango ambassador for the National Mango Board (and overall health nut), shares his tips to help keep your family in tip-top shape for back-to-school and all year long.

1. A fresh start: A new school year is a landmark that can bring new traditions, resolutions and decisions. All you have to do is make them. Make a list of goals for you and your family to get ahead of the game. Some great ideas include a central chalkboard in the house to track which chore each family member is responsible for, or get a calendar marking down family nights to ensure you get together at least once a week.

2. Stick to the pyramid: Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and good source of fiber. Energize your children with the healthy diet they need by avoiding junk food and offering nutritious options such as some Mango Oat Breakfast Bars to start your day off right or Sweet and Savory Mango Roll Ups for a fun after-school snack.

3. Meals at the ready: Need to get dinner on the table quick? There are quick and healthier alternatives to takeout that take the same amount of time to prepare. Try this Mango and Bacon Barbecue Pizza for starters which can be prepared in 20 minutes! You can also prepare snacks and meals a few days in advance to relieve some of the pressure. Try serving some baked tortilla chips with a fresh and healthy Cinco de Mango Salsa and storing it in the fridge for when hunger strikes.

4. Find the time to get active: Things can get busy, but try to set aside time each week to get the whole family together for an active day of fun. Play soccer, hold your own family marathon or get the whole family singing and dancing the Mango Fandango.

5. Make Learning Together Fun: Learning doesn’t have to stop when the bell rings. Try quizzing your child about geography and other fun facts in unique way with the Jango Geography online game.

I grew up on many fruits and vegetables.  Mango was one of my favorites.  It is so sweet and a great substitute for candy!

Crosswords, sudoku … any puzzle that taps your language or math skills can leave your mind sharp and stimulated.  Just a few minutes a day!

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Thanks to Healthy Monday organization for sharing their Monday tips.

Resources:

Nutrition crossword puzzles for kids

Nutrition wordsearch puzzles for kids

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, made the opening remarks at the conference, “Weight of the Nation”.  She stated

“the childhood obesity epidemic so severe in our country that this generation of kids could be the first in more than 200 years to live shorter lives than their parents“

 I remember the first time I heard this claim in 2005 by our Surgeon General.  I had to reread the article.  With all our technology, with all our advances in medicine, as a nurse I could not believe this was true.  As a mother, I was scared and worried about my children and my children’s children.  That was the shocking statistic that made me start NourishInteractive.com.

Here it is 2009, and I am reading the same prediction.  This time I am not dumbfounded, this time I am not shocked.  This time I am energized to continue to find ways to reach out to children and make healthy eating a fun topic they enjoy learning about.

I know that early education (before kids have formed their habits) is one of the most important strategies in fighting childhood obesity long term. I also know that most kids, regardless of their weight don’t eat a balanced diet; they are missing many nutrients.  This can effect their learning ability and long term health.

Please help me spread the word and get all kids learning about nutrition in a fun, positive way.

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center has just released a report identifying video games as a useful means to educate children about health.

The report states:

“Digital games show significant potential to promote children’s growth and healthy development. They can foster skills and knowledge that help children with academic learning, as well as habits that contribute to better health.”

Unfortunately, video games have been tainted by the many violent games that are widely advertised amongst teens. Many parents and teachers don’t view games as a way to really teach kids using sound learning concepts.

I was really glad to see that organizations are starting to see what we already know! Video games are part of kids lives, why not use them in a productive way to help kids learn about healthy eating in a way that is meaningful and engaging. If we can’t hold their attention, they are not going to listen. That is our challenge and our goal. To make nutrition fun, to help kids make positive associations with nutrition and promote healthy eating habits.

The report makes the following recommendations:

The report calls for national leadership to coordinate new research investments to build knowledge and game development and training. It urges private investors, publishers and health insurers to form partnerships to encourage entrepreneurship in digital game technologies.

The report calls for a Digital Teachers Corps to help educators integrate curriculum-based games into school and afterschool settings. It also calls for new incentives for community health providers and insurers to deploy potentially cost-saving games to prevent obesity and to promote children’s healthy habits for life.

To update the Department of Education’s Ready to Learn program, which reaches low-income 2-9 year-old children with television programming, the report recommends a new emphasis on digital media such as video games and mobile technologies.

Resources:
About Our Nutrition Games for Children

Play Healthy Nutrition Games

Nutrition Education Games- Tools for Classrooms

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center

Social Impact Games

Share your comments about useful new media technology for educating children about health!

July 9 is National Summer Learning Day. This event is sponsored by the National Center for Summer Learning.

I like to promote this event because it reminds all us how important it for kids to keep learning even when school is out. You may be thinking, give the kids a break, it is summer time. And I agree, that learning during summer should not be as structured as regular school but learning can be fun and can occur in many different ways.

Here are some facts from the Summer Learning Center that may change your mind (or if you agree with me, validate your position)

• All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of the summer (White, 1906; Entwisle & Alexander, 1992; Cooper et al., 1996; Downey et al., 2004).
• Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement, despite the fact that their middle-class peers make slight gains (Cooper et al., 1996).

• About two-thirds of the ninth-grade achievement gap between lower and higher income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities during the elementary school years. As a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college (Alexander et al., 2007).

• Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children—particularly children at high risk of obesity—gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school during summer break (von Hippel et al., 2007).

• Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do (Duffett et al., 2004).

Many programs are celebrating National Summer Learning Day throughout the country. Click here to find an event in your area. You can even look for an event that is designed for your child’s age.

It’s not too late for any program that promotes summer learning to register and participate in this national event. You can obtain a free event planning kit full of ideas and resources to make it a fun event for everyone.

Kids make their own cute “Nutrition is Fun” bookmarks to use during their summer reading.

You can even plan your own at home summer learning program for free! Have the kids learn about nutrition and the importance of being active with nutrition games, nutrition and health worksheets and kids healthy tips monthly page.

It is that time of the year, where kids (adults too!) stop and recognize how great dads are.

There are many ways for kids to thank dad for his fun and loving ways that don’t cost money. With father’s day quickly approaching, we have created some free printable coloring cards, certificates and gift of time certificates that kids can personalize to make a special thoughtful gift for dad.

We have included a list of special gift of time activities children can choose from if they need some ideas.

We took the time to create these father’s day coloring sheets because one of the keys to long term healthy eating habits is associating a positive attitude with nutrition. The more we help kids remember the importance of being active and eating healthy – in fun ways, the more we are helping them form that positive association.

That is why we now have a “Fun Activities” section in our educators’ webpages. Kids’ bookmark activity and tons of free printable nutrition worksheets are also available.

We can learn from the fast food, high sugar, and high fat food manufacturers, who use their characters in all kind of fun ways to promote their food. Let’s continue to work together to move the word, idea, attitude about “nutrition” into the FUN column.

Teachers, counselors, childcare providers, afterschool leaders, parents, and really anyone working with children should feel free to use and distribute these worksheets for educational purposes, so long as the copyright and footer information are left intact.

Just checking in with everyone.  We are on the third day of the national “Turn Off TV” week.   This week is a great opportunity for some serious family fun.  With the first two days behind you, the kids may be surprised that it isn’t that hard after all.  In fact, coming up with different things to do is fun!As a reminder, here is some 50 fun ideas for Turn off TV week activities that the whole family can enjoy.

The kids are also learning about Turn off TV week in their monthly online kids Explorer page. For those of you who forgot or have not started, it is not too late.  You can start today.

Make sure to get the kids involved because this is really a family event. Read more about how to participate in Turn off TV week and ideas for limiting TV time.

Here are some tools to help you get started:Turn Off the TV Family Agreement sheet.  Get everyone on board and have the whole family sign it.  Then post it on the fridge as a reminder to everyone.

A recent study was presented at the School Nutrition Association’s annual meeting.  The study tested the response of kids to vegetables and fruits:

186 kids were given carrots to eat as part of their lunch on certain days

the same kids were given carrots named X-ray Vision Carrots on other days

The study found that kids ate twice as much carrots when it had a “Cool” name.  But, what was really surprising was these kids continued to eat more carrots even on the days it was not labeled with a “cool” name.

One theory is that kids think eating a food with a fun name is more fun to eat.  Don’t underestimate the power of FUN- when it comes to kids.

But are we really surprised by this.  Look at the high sugar and high fatty food manufacturers.  They spend billions of dollars on advertising each year to promote their foods as fun, cool to the kids.

The message is clear.  We have to fight FUN with FUN.  We have to make the healthy foods fun for kids.

Keeping nutrition fun can require some creativity but so worth it, because they then create an association of FUN with nutrition and that perception continues in their mind.

Teach kids nutritious foods are fun:

• nutrition games
• name the healthy foods fun names
• make healthy foods fun looking
• create fun little shopping games for buying the nutritious foods

With a little bit of imagination, we can put the FUN back in nutrition for our kids… and for us too!