Stay Healthy!

What You Need:

• Paper
• Pen
• Your pediatrician’s consent, especially if your child is overweight or has any medical conditions

What You Do:

1. Have your child write a list of 25 things that they can do to have a healthier, more active lifestyle, being as specific as they can. For example, instead of writing "Eat healthier", have your child think of specific ways they can improve their diet, such as "Eat more carrots" or "Snack on apples instead of chips after school."
2. Once their list is complete, review it with them and make sure all of their goals are realistic and achievable. When it comes to exercise, the rule of thumb is that every child should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. These activities should cover three areas: aerobic (running or brisk walking), muscle strengthening (gymnastics, push-ups), and bone strengthening (jump rope, running). Your child may already be doing this if they participate in organized sports.
3. Have them make a grid-like chart, 25 rows by 25 columns, to help them keep track of their progress. You can make this chart with a pen and paper or on the computer.
4. Along the left side of the chart, ask them to label the rows with their 25 goals. Number the columns from 1-25 along the top of the chart.
5. Hang up the chart on the refrigerator so your child can refer to it over the course of the activity.
6. Now your child is ready to put their plan into action. At the beginning of each week for the next 25 weeks, ask them to incorporate one new item into their daily routine, going in the order listed on the chart. The goal is to empower your child and help them establish good habits.
7. Throughout the activity, remember to offer encouraging words and moral support to your child. This is a two-person effort!
8. Each time they complete a week successfully, have them color in or place a sticker in the corresponding box on the chart. Visualizing their progress will help them stay motivated.
9. If your child struggles with one of the changes, consider slowing the pace or modifying the goal accordingly. After all, the goal of this activity is for your child to have fun, not be miserable!
10. At the end of the activity, sit down together and assess how they feel about all the changes they made over the last few months. Which ones did they like, and which ones were especially hard? How do they feel about their new healthy and active lifestyle? Was it as hard as they expected?