Help Steer Kids Towards Adopting Healthy Habits

Healthy habits help kids mind their brains for a well-balanced life.

Hi and welcome back to Attentionology of K – 5 Teachers!

Dr. Seuss, beloved author in many parts of the world, wrote a telling poem in “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”

The poem empowers children with these lines:

“Congratulations! Today is your day,

You’re off to great places; you’re off and away.

You have brains in your head,

You have feet in your shoes,

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

In school, teachers are in a great position to help steer kids in directions that will benefit their development, like adopting healthy habits.

Mind Your Brain! – What’s the connection between “minding brains” and helping kids adopt healthy habits? It’s a no-brainer! Brain function impacts children’s success in school.

Healthy kids have greater capacity to stay on task in class. Properly cared for brains don’t just have what it takes for one-day learning; they become storage factories of information and skills for the future.

Make a Brain Box – Help children grasp these concepts with a fun activity. Make a Brain Box.

Directions for Making a Brain Box:

• Find a box with a lid
• Find and cut out photos (available in newspapers and magazines) of the following:

* a child or children sleeping

* a container of cereal and one of milk

* Optional: pictures of other healthy foods

* people being active indoors and outdoors

• Place the cut out photos inside the box and write Brain Box on the lid.
• As a class activity, invite students to open the box and discover the contents. Discuss ways for students to care for their brains.
• Optional: Ask students to draw and color pictures that show good sleeping, eating and exercising habits. Add these to the Brain Box.

Steer Students Towards Getting a Good Night’s Sleep – If you work with children in the early grades, try this…

Read Dr. Seuss’ poem, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” aloud to the class.

Announce that Dr. Seuss would be proud – you’re certain – of students who choose to steer towards adopting healthy habits.

Write the title, Dr. Seuss Steers Us In the Direction of Healthy Habits on a board in your room.

Below the title start a list of healthy habits like getting a good night’s sleep. Ask students to suggest additions to the list.

How else can you steer kids towards adopting healthy habits? (more…)