Importance of Staying Active During Virtual Learning
College of DuPage Nursing Student Silvia Delgado shared with Healthy Lombard that Virtual learning can be very stressful, but exercise is one of the most important activities to fight stress during these challenging times. Although it may seem a bit harder to stay active during a global pandemic and a massive shut down, it is extremely important for health. Children especially, require physical activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020) children between 3 and 5 years of age need physical activity throughout the day for growth and development. Children and adolescents age 6 through 17 years should get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.
There are many ways and activities to motivate your child to stay active. Virtual PE (physical education), a website featuring links for physical activity, is a great resource to help the family stay active while at home. This website includes, Just Dance, a YouTube channel that has dance challenges as part of a music video that provides an easy way for adults and children to get moving and dancing. Another link featured on this website is Cosmic Kids Yoga, which provides videos with yoga moves for younger children. A different option that may be more appropriate for older children is the Nike Training Club app, which provides free workout content. Selecting the right activity for your child is important as different ages are appropriate for different interests and abilities. It is much easier to motivate your child to exercise when they perceive it as a fun activity. Read more
So many Online Child Safety guides are just scaring parents, without telling them what they can actually do; and this is why we came together, a group of cybersecurity experts and parents, to create a different guide. It’s updated for October 2020, and it’s all about steps you can take to protect your child from Sexual predators, Cyberbullying, Mobile phone addiction, and hurtful content. While we don’t think you should panic as a parent, you do need to be aware of the risk’s magnitude, as every kid could be affected.
FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) shared that food allergy awareness and offering the option of non-food trinkets and toys in a separate bowl makes Halloween safer and more inclusive for all trick-or-treaters.
On and around Food Day 2020, millions of people around the country will crunch into an apple in a unifying action to raise awareness about eating better diets for our health and the environment, access and affordability of fruits and vegetables, and supporting local farmers. Hundreds of thousands of school students will crunch into an apple at lunchtime, joined by Americans at public Food Day events, in cafeterias, and at home.
The Apple Crunch originated in New York City in 2012, with approximately 400,000 New Yorkers biting into a locally grown New York State apple at the same time on Food Day. In 2013, the Big Apple Crunch in New York City set a world record with 1,000,000 people participating. The activity has spread across the country, and thousands of locations had Apple Crunches for Food Day 2014.
The Obesity Action Coalition shared that whether you are home for virtual school or sending the kids off with a mask and hand sanitizer, back to school looks different this year. While we are not rushing to the stores for back to school shopping like most Augusts, the re-setting of routines remains a priority.
The Area Health Education Center posted that as parents, caregivers, teachers, and community members, we are at the forefront of ensuring the health of our children and reducing their risk of chronic health conditions. We can do this by supporting and encouraging children to participate in physical activities that get them moving for at least 60 minutes a day, providing nutritious food and beverage options, and making sure they get adequate sleep. This sounds much easier than it is, and the reality of convincing our kids to step away from the television or computer and make healthy food choices is a daily struggle. Childhood obesity has become a major problem in the United States and it is crucial that we adults step up to the plate (in more ways than one) and show children that making even small changes can make a big difference to their future.
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This summer we have over 30 students registered to participate in Flat Apple 2020. This FREE summer program is designed to incentivize kids to stay active during the summer months outside of school. The 2020 program runs June 1- August 7. The program allows participants to earn tickets for eligibility to win a variety of prizes at the end of the summer. Prize winners are typically contacted in September.
As a way of encouraging healthy choices, we are going forward with plans for this summer’s Flat Apple 2020 since it can easily be adapted to a virtual format. So, I am asking for your help to get the word out to every child you know from ages preschool to high school.