Cooking is more fun with kids
Edward Elmhurst Health shared that if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that kids love getting their hands dirty.
They have just as much fun making mud pies in a backyard “kitchen” as they do making a more-edible yogurt parfait.
It’s a great idea to get kids working in the kitchen, even at a young age. The more you teach kids about good nutrition, the more likely they will be to make a habit of healthy cooking. Another bonus — cooking provides math, literacy, and science lessons that are guaranteed to be fun!
Working on a recipe together gives adults an opportunity to teach kids about cleanliness. Thoroughly wash hands, utensils, and work surfaces before starting, and make sure kids know not to sample the food before it’s cooked.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides an excellent breakdown of tasks kids can safely handle in the kitchen by age:
3-5 year olds
Young children love helping out but need very close adult supervision since their motor skills are still developing. Teach these youngsters the importance of washing produce and using clean appliances and utensils.
Age-appropriate tasks:
- Wash hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Make it a game by singing the “Happy Birthday” song together twice as you wash your hands.
- Wash fruits and vegetables in the sink with cool tap water.
- Wipe up tabletops.
- Mix ingredients like easy-to-mix batters.
- Brush (or “paint”) oil with a clean pastry brush on bread, asparagus, or other foods.
- Cut cookies with fun-shaped cookie cutters (but don’t eat the raw dough!).
This fall, we invite you to join the Healthy Driven Take a Hike! Challenge. For eight weeks, from Sept. 1 to Oct. 27, rediscover the healthy benefits of being active and spending time outdoors. It’s a great opportunity for all ages — from kids to seniors — to exercise in the fresh air and learn cool stuff about nature while bonding with family and friends.
Edward Elmhurst Health shared in its blog that if you’re like many parents, the school year can be stressful. Very stressful. And this year, there is added stress as families continue to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Epidemiologist Dr. Xiaoyan Song, PhD, MBBS, MSc, the Director of the Infection Control/Epidemiology at Children’s National Hospital and an Investigator in the Children’s National Research Institute, share in the “Rise & Shine” Blog that as children are getting ready to go back to school, many parents are wondering about the safety of activities they previously took for granted, like riding the school bus. We asked epidemiologist Dr. Xiaoyan Song about the risks of getting COVID-19 from the school bus and what precautions parents, educators, and bus drivers can take to ensure their students’ safety.
Hayley T. Sparks, MD, a pediatric resident at Children’s National Hospital, and Sahira Long,
Harmony Healthcare IT shared that earlier this year, data from the United States 
Whether away from the classroom for just a few weeks or for 18 long months, students with food allergies face unique safety challenges as they return to in-person learning.
Dr. Satish Pai (BIO below) wrote for Healthy Lombard that healthy teeth are a result of good oral habits. Following good oral health practices from a young age help in establishing lifelong patterns. Make oral care fun for the kids so that they can get into the habit of taking care of their teeth, especially if they have braces.