Health Promotion
Through training we at Bizzy Bees Childcare have been given a smart start/life style planning award. Smart start is a programme which identifies the factors required for a healthy happy preschool such as Health Promotion, Nutrition, Health & Safety, Oral Health and Physical Activity.
The foundation for life long health promotion begins at home but the Pre School, (Children aged 0-6years), where a child spends a lot of their day, offers an unsurpassed opportunity to complement parents efforts by integrating a health promotion approach.
Health promotion can be thought of as an umbrella that overarches many of the activities that we do.
On a daily basis we aim to combine all of the health promotion factors. How? …..
Oral Health
Teach about the importance of oral health, incorporate brushing into our daily schedule and carry out numerous activities with the children about oral health.
Don’t forget to send in your toothbrush and toothbrush case!
Health and Safety
Ensure the environment is safe for the children. Carry out fire drills on a monthly basis ensuring that all of the children get a chance to participate. Teach the children about fire safety and introduce the children to members of the community such as an Garda Siochána and the Fire Department.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
We initiate a Go Green campaign with the pre school and after school children providing recyclable bins in their rooms. We incorporate recycling in to our arts and crafts and recycling in our local recycling centre
Nutrition
Maintain our nutrition programme. Allow the children to bake healthy nutritious foods on a weekly basis.
Every week we go through the alphabet having a new letter each week, and we concentrate on foods beginning with that letter. Sometimes the children bring food in their lunch boxes beginning with that letter and they are really excited to show us.
We cook something beginning with the letter of the week, however we sometimes need help when we get to x,y, z!
The children learn to explore the different types of fruits and vegetables through their 5 senses, the favourite so far being a coconut!
There are lots of delicious and convenient alternatives to chocolate/sweet snack foods that taste great and are good for them. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Ideas for Lunchboxes:
- Go Crackers! Plain or whole-wheat crackers/ with cheese/ banana!
- Go Fruity! Bananas, apples, oranges, kiwi’s, grapes etc
- Go Cheesy! Cheese strings, baby bel, cheese dippers, cheese spread!
- Go Dairy! Milk, fruit / plain yogurts, muller fruit corners!
- Go Veggie! Carrot sticks- great for teething!
- Sandwiches/bagels/pitta bread/bread rolls with ham, cheese, jam
- Pasta shapes/soups & bread/Noodles
- Baked potatoes with a range of fillings such as coleslaw, beans, ham & cheese or even pop on an extra portion of dinner so your child can take it the next day
- Drinks: Non fizzy, No added sugar drinks are ideal for their teeth.
Hot Meals
While you are preparing your evening meal at home make a little extra for your childs dinner the following day, put it into a sealed container and refrigerate!
Some Hot Meal Ideas:
Children learn from other children’s eating habits and they will learn to eat new foods. Our aim is for everyone to adopt healthy food habits and therefore pass the habit on.
Physical Activity
On a daily basis the children do their exercises and dance to music. We carry out many daily activities which include indoor and outdoor physical activities. Our large outdoor area provides excellent opportunities for gross physical play.
Health Promotion
We aim to complement parent’s efforts by continuing to integrate our health programme.
We implement exciting new initiatives with the children through our junior chefs programme on a weekly basis. We aim to cook healthy nutritious foods in keeping with our letter of the week. So far we have cooked culinary delights ranging from omlettes, bacon and cabbage (with a twist) and japanese noodles to raspberry roulettes and ginger bread men.