Fall Physical Activity

The cooler temperatures of fall make it a wonderful time to get your family outside and enjoying nature. Taking your family out for a walk to look at the yellows, bright reds, and orange colors of the fall leaves turning a swirl of colors! Have your family participate in Walk Maryland Day on October 2nd.

As the leaves begin to fall, stop by your local library to checkout a bird book, and take your family for a hike to see what birds you can find, without the leaves that would hide birds in trees during the summer. Not only are falling leaves fun to crunch under your feet on a walk or hike, but raking and jumping in a pile of leaves can be a ton of fun!

Use Maryland’s Best to find a farm close to you, where you and your family can pick your own apples or pumpkins! Some farms may even have a corn maze for your family to test their skills to find their way out of the maze!

Fall is also the time to get excited about the start of football, basketball, hockey, and baseball and soccer playoffs. Head outside and play like your favorite professional athlete. In place of ice hockey, play street hockey with a broom and a small ball.

Fall is a wonderful time to go outside with the cooler temperatures. Remember to wear sunscreen and stay hydrated with water. Visit the park and farm website to make sure you follow their rules for safety. Choose your own family-fall adventure!

Active Body, Healthy Mind

Now that the weather is getting warmer, it is easier to become more active. Physical activity is very important to keep people of all ages healthy! Being active can even make for a healthier brain. That is why it is key for kids to enjoy recess and other physical activity in and out of school.

For schools, springtime is also standardized test season. Encourage your child’s teacher to add in extra physical activity to help kids stay focused. In addition to extra recess, teachers can help kids be more active with indoor recess or brain breaks. The ideas in this blog have been taken from the FSNE Toolkit, which lists several physical activity resources for teachers. Parent volunteers can help lead and organize these activities too! Most of these activity ideas take 3-5 minutes each. Choose more than one activity if there’s enough time.

• Take a 5-minute walk before a test.
• Ask students True/False questions. Assign a movement for each answer. For example, jump in place for 15 seconds if the answer is true. Touch toes for 15 seconds if false.
• Roll an activity die. Each number can represent a movement, such as jumping jacks, running in place, etc. Do the activity for 30 seconds, then roll again. 
  
• Play a kid’s dance video.
• Divide into groups of 3-4 students and have them create and perform a touchdown dance.
• Play Aerobic Rock, Paper, Scissors 

Bring these ideas home! Physical activity after school also helps kids focus better on homework and sleep

Spring Physical Activities for Kids

It’s important for youth to engage in at least 1 hour of physical activity per day. Here are some ideas to get moving.

Field Day
Field Day is a popular day of activities at school. Have a field day of your own at home! Create one in your backyard, park or community center. Here are some games to play -

• Jump rope
• 3-Legged Race
• Hula Hoop Contest
• Sack race (Use a pillow case if you don’t have a burlap sack.)
• Sponge Race: The object of the game is to fill the empty bucket with the most water. Each team will have a set of buckets. One bucket will be empty. One bucket will be filled halfway with water.  Place the buckets about 10- 20 feet across from each other. The first players will place a dry sponge in the water bucket. Then, walk or run to the empty bucket. Wring the water out. The player brings the sponge back to the next player.
  

Getting to Know You
Look for a list of local outdoor festivals from your school or town. These festivals can have free activities that get you to move more. It is also a nice chance to meet neighbors and local organizations.   Check your local newspaper, online website or social media pages like Facebook to find a festival or event near you!

Change your Scenery
Parks aren’t just for playgrounds and picnics. There are also trails to walk around. Many parks offer activity stations. Use these stations for a new workout. Have a fun competition with other kids! Wheelchair-friendly paths and equipment are available at some parks. Check your local parks and recreation to see for free classes. Yoga, Zumba, and indoor sports can get you moving in bad weather.

Mind Games
Create a scavenger hunt or treasure map. This will exercise the mind and body. It can also help with team-building. These are good options for a rain or shine.

Springtime Physical Activities

Spring is a great time to start adding more physical activity to your days. To stay healthy and to help lower your risk of diseases, adults should aim for at least 30 minutes a day, while children should aim for 60 minutes.

Not sure where to start? Think local! There are many free, exciting indoor and outdoor options that are fun for the whole family right around your neighborhood.

On days where the weather is nice, try soaking in Maryland’s famous scenery. Getting enough fun in the sun is great for your health and boosts your vitamin D supply.
·       Visit a nearby park or hiking trail
·       Plant your own fruits and veggies
·       Take the family to the local farmer’s market
·       Jump through the sprinkler in your backyard

Find ways to stay cool when it’s hot outside.  Check for specials or free events going on in your area now and  during the summer.  These are great places to take your child:
·       Museums or art galleries
·       Indoor exhibits at the Zoo
·       Trade fairs
·       Window shopping at the mall

Prefer to stay at home? Try indoor games such as:
·       Hide-n-seek
·       Tag
·       Hop scotch
·       Dance Party

You’re sure to break a sweat, so it’s important to stay hydrated. Pack a reusable water bottle and drink up every chance you get. Whether it’s from the tap at home or from the public water fountain, free water refills are just around the corner!

For more ideas, visit Eat Smart MD’s other physical activity blogs here!

Valentine’s Day Physical Activity

Valentine’s Day falls in the middle of American Heart Month and is a great reason to plan a healthy heart day with the entire family.  Rename your favorite activities to fit into the spirit of the holiday.  Crawl around on the floor as little love bugs; follow that up with cupid crunches, lovebird lunges, and sweetheart stretches.   Consider organizing a family sports match where the winners could receive coupons for future activity time such as a bike ride with mom, or bowling with dad.  

Other fun ideas for your healthy heart celebration could include trying different yoga activities like Mooga and Cosmic Kids Yoga or other online physical activity breaks.  If it isn’t too cold, dress for the weather and go for a walk.  If you live in a snowy area, you could even playfully toss around some snowballs.  You might have so much fun that you forget you are being active!  Come in from the cold and complete the day with a family dance party along with some of your favorite songs.  

After working up a sweat, rehydrate with this festive Fizzy and Fruity Water recipe, substituting pomegranate or some other red, 100% juice blend for the orange juice.   What will you do to enjoy a healthy heart day with your loved ones?   Have fun while being more active as a family! 

Family Physical Activities After Thanksgiving

Turkey, stuffing, and apple pie, oh my! Your family is probably ready to burn off some excess calories from Thanksgiving. Try getting active as a family! Here are some fun ways to get moving:

Walk through a Corn maze

Find a local corn maze that your family can explore! Walking through a corn maze for 30 minutes is a great way to get moving.

Go Hiking

The leaves are changing colors and the temperature is cooling. This is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors! Take your family on a hike to enjoy the weather. Whether you choose a challenging or an easy trail, your family will get a fun workout!

Jump Through Leaves

Who doesn’t enjoy collecting a pile of leaves to jump through? This activity is easy, fun and the yard will be cleaner after!

Take a Family Bike Ride

Ride your bikes through your neighborhood or on a trail! Biking is a great way to exercise as a family.

Play “Ghost in the Graveyard”

Make the game of tag more fall themed by playing “Ghost in the Graveyard.” Your family won’t realize how much they ran until the game is over!

Play Flag Football

Get your sneakers on! If your family is looking for something more intense, this game is for you. Your family won’t stop moving during a game of tag football!

Have a Scavenger Hunt

Create clues leading to hidden objects around your house or yard. By the time you are done, you will have been walking for at least 30 minutes!

Summer Activities for Kids

Summer is here. The weather is warm. Kids have more time to play! Of course, there are tons of activities for kids to choose from. Some include sports, reading, and cooking. But sometimes those activities can cost a lot of money. Here are some low-cost activities for your kids during the summer.

Gardening

Make it a family activity by getting everyone involved! Buy seeds to grow your own fruits and veggies. The kids will have a lot of fun watching their plants grow.

Visit a Local Pool

Summer is a perfect time to enjoy the outdoors, but it can get hot! Visit your  community pool to cool down in the hot summer sun. Many pools have a kids area where they can play with fountains or waterslides!

Everyone Loves to Use Sidewalk Chalk

Kids love to draw pictures on the sidewalk with chalk. Use chalk to draw a hopscotch board or draw a picture of your favorite fruit or veggie. You can also create your own game with chalk.

Make a Summer Bucket List

Get the whole family involved in a summer bucket list. See how many items you can cross off! Add ideas like visiting a zoo or going on a family hike. Other examples include playing frisbee, visiting a park, making a new recipe together, having a picnic, or visiting the farmers’ market!

Tag -- You’re It!

No equipment is needed to play tag!  It is perfect for a large group of kids. Play different types of tag like freeze tag, cartoon tag, and dragon tail tag.

Use these suggestions to get active with your kids this summer! If you have any others ideas, please share them with us!

Time for Fun in the Sun

 
Summer is a great time to get outdoors and get moving! Being active helps kids and adults have stronger muscles and bones. It also helps you sleep better at night. Try to encourage kids to be active for at least sixty minutes every day. 

Some ideas:

• Hopscotch: be creative! Use chalk to make a hopscotch course, with numbers or letters in the shapes. Let kids take turns giving directions such as “spin around on the number 5” or “hop on your left foot to the letter D.”
• Gardening: it may not seem like activity, but digging holes and watering plants can work up a sweat! As a bonus, kids may be more likely to eat a veggie if they help to grow it.
• Frisbee: throwing a frisbee back and forth is a great way to practice catching skills without needing a lot of expensive equipment or gloves. Check your local dollar store for a frisbee
• Crazy walks: when going for a walk, add some challenges to get your heart beating and keep kids interested! Try skipping, hopping, walking backwards (carefully), or walking sideways.

Tips:

• Stay hydrated! When it is hot outside, we sweat more and lose water through our skin. Keep a cold water bottle nearby and remind kids to take drink breaks during their play.
• Stay protected! It is easy to lose track of time while having fun in the sun, but it is important to always wear sunscreen. Reapply according to the directions on the bottle or after getting wet. Take a few minutes as a family to put on sunscreen before every time you go outside, even on cloudy days.

Screen Free Week

It’s Screen Free Week! Here are some tips to try with your family this week to get the most out of your screen-free time.

• Make time for physical activity 
  Persuade your child to put down the video game controller or tablet and pick up the basketball instead! Physical activity can include a wide variety of fun and engaging things, such as dancing, jumping rope, riding a bicycle, or playing sports.
  
  

• Get in the kitchen 
  Have your kids join you in the kitchen to help prepare meals! Take this time to experiment with new dishes and fun recipes. Assign different tasks to everyone; one person can gather the ingredients and another can wash or peel the vegetables. You may even discover that your little picky eater has a new favorite fruit or vegetable!
  
  
• Turn TV time into family time 
  Round up the family to eat dinner together. Encourage conversation and discussion! Without the TV acting as distraction, family meal time can be a valuable bonding experience.  Don’t forget to put your cell phone away too!
  
  
• Flex your creative muscles 
  Set up an arts and crafts night! Crafts can include seasonal items, such as spring and summer themed placemats, dream-catchers, and sculptures. Get creative beyond the normal paint and canvas! Try out different art mediums and materials, like clay, paper mache, and wood.

• Enjoy the nice weather 
  Consider taking a family trip to a national park or hiking trail. As the weather warms up, take this opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and appreciate the scenery. Not only is hiking fun and relaxing, it is also great exercise!

With all these different activities, pretty soon you’ll forget that you even had to depend on the TV for entertainment in the first place!

How to Put Some Spring in Your Step This April

Spring is finally here and we can once again welcome warmer weather and longer days. Shake off the cold winter months and celebrate the season of new beginnings by going outside and getting active! Not sure how to begin those first steps on your journey to better health? Consider participating in the American Heart Association’s National Walking Day, an annual spring event that raises awareness about the importance of being physically active. 

National Walking Day 2016 takes place on Wednesday April 6th and participants commit to walk for at least 30 minutes to promote physical activity and well-being in their communities. Why walking? Walking is a great exercise whether you are just beginning a more active lifestyle, or are regularly physically active.  There are many positive reasons to start walking:

• Walking reduces the risk of many diseases.  Walking for just 30 minutes a day can help you reduce your risk of developing heart disease, improve your blood pressure, and enhance your mental well-being. 
  
•  Walking does not require special equipment or advanced athletic skills in order to achieve these amazing health benefits.
•  Walking is a low-cost and easy way to increase your energy, prevent weight gain, and reduce your risk of serious diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and obesity.  

With so many great reasons to take part in National Walking Day, why not encourage others to walk with you? Invite members of your workplace, school, and faith-based organization, as well as friends and family to join in on the fun! The American Heart Association’s website provides a resource guide and toolkit to help you plan for the event whether you are participating as an individual or as part of a group. The toolkit also includes a four week action plan for those who want to extend the fun for the whole month. More information on National Walking Day can be found at www.heart.org/WalkingDay.
  
Need more inspiration? Walking is the state exercise of Maryland! Visit University of Maryland Extension’s Walk MD! website to find helpful online tools such as an interactive map to track your steps and take you on a virtual walking tour around the state of Maryland. Recording your steps can be a great way to track your progress and motivate you to stay active!  For more information on resources found through the Walk MD! program visit www.extension.umd.edu/walkmd. 

So say farewell to those winter blues by lacing up your sneakers and heading outdoors! Sunny days and better health are right around the corner and just a few feet away.

Physical Activity in the Winter Months

Does the cold weather keep your family inside most days?  You can still be active as a family inside during the winter. Sometimes it takes a bit of creativity, especially if you have a small space! But your family can still enjoy getting activity inside.  Try some of these ideas during those cold winter days to keep your family moving.

• Sock skating -- Try a safer version of ice skating by wearing socks on a smooth surface.   Paper places placed on carpet can work too!  Kids can "skate" around the house.
• Winter Olympics - Although the Winter Olympics isn't this year, your family can still have their own Winter Olympics competition.  Make up games like sock skating, bobsledding using a laundry basket, and indoor hockey with a soft ball.
• Snowball toss -- Make snowballs out of soft toys or rolled up socks.  Toss back and forth with another family member.  Each time you catch the snowball, take a step back.
• Winter yoga -- Have your child try a more relaxing way of being active.  Try yoga poses like downhill skier, a twirling figure skater or a warrior pose.

It's important to continue to keep children active even during the winter months.  Plan time to be active as a family this week.  Your children will enjoy the time spent with you!

A Healthy New Year Starts Now

A new year means new beginnings and fresh starts.  Be ready for the new year with a plan for making healthier choices for you and your family.  Join our 2016 Healthy Challenge today!

The 2016 Healthy Challenge is all about moving towards a healthy lifestyle.  Everyone has different goals for making healthier choices.  Choose goals that are realistic and that you can carry out all year long.  Let's look at some simple goals to include in your 2016 Healthy Challenge.

Eat the rainbow.
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetable provides many health benefits.  Fruits and vegetables protect against certain diseases and cancer, and are high in fiber.  Eating colorful fruits and vegetables ensures that you are getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs.  Find ways to add a rainbow of colors into your meals.

• Buy in season fruits and veggies.  Fruits and veggies taste best when they are in season.
• Have a color challenge.  See how many different colors of fruits & veggies that you can include in your meals.
• Fruits and veggies are among the healthiest foods we eat.  Choose canned, frozen, fresh, and dried fruits and veggies when planning your meals.
• Have a "try a new food" day.  Encourage kids to try new foods.  Each week let your child try a new food.  If they don't like it, it's okay - offer it again at a later time.  Make an "I Tried It" chart and see what new fruits and veggies that your family liked the most.
• Plan ahead for meals.  Planning meals for the week can help ensure that you have healthy meals for your family.  When you plan out your meals, you can also plan to use leftovers another night.

Be active.
Being active is another way to move towards a healthy lifestyle.  Regular physical activity helps to keep the extra weight off, gives you energy, and makes you feel better.  Plan to be active this year with some of these ideas:

• Include the entire family.  Enjoy spending time being active with your family.  Set aside time 3-4 times a week to be active by walking around the neighborhood, playing ball, or enjoy inside activities like scavenger hunts, dance parties, or set up an obstacle course.
• Find an activity to do together.  Many families enjoy doing activities together like taking a hike or playing a sport.  Look for an activity that all members of the family would enjoy doing and make time to do this activity.  
• Have fun!  Being active also means having fun.  Many activities that you can do are also a lot of fun for kids. Look for ways to make physical activity fun for the whole family.

We wish you a very Happy, Healthy New Year!

Be an Active Family

We move all day long, but we still may not be getting enough health benefits from physical activity unless we use energy to move our bodies with purpose.  That isn't as hard as you might think; walking, gardening, pushing a stroller, biking, climbing stairs, and dancing are all ways to be physically active!

What kinds of physical activity?
Your family's physical activity needs to be moderate to vigorous to be beneficial to your health.   Light activity doesn't raise your heart rate or cause to you to breathe harder, but moderate and vigorous activity does, and that is what your goal for physical activity should be for the whole family.

Mix and match moderate and vigorous physical activity throughout the week.  Try taking a brisk (fast) walk after dinner one night, playing a game of basketball the next, tidying up the yard together, and having a dance contest at home the next night!

How much physical activity?
Young children under age 5 are encouraged to be physically active several times each day.  Children ages 5 to 17 should be physically active 60 minutes each day.  Adults need to combine moderate and vigorous physical activity with strengthening activities.  Visit the Choose MyPlate website and Let's Move website for more ways to be active.

Challenge your family members to come up with their own ideas for exciting ways to be physically active together.  Find fun things to do as a family and be sure to schedule time to do them -- let physical activity be your family's reward each day for finishing other tasks.

One program that your family could join is the Walk MD program through University of Maryland Extension.  This program encourages walking and exploring Maryland!

Keeping Kids Active During the This Summer

As the flowers bloom and the days grow longer, children begin to count the days until summer and the end of the school year.  Parents begin to think about how to keep their children busy, active, and healthy during the school-free months.   There are plenty of ways to keep your children busy and active this summer!

Below you will find some ideas about how to help meet the goal of 60 minutes of physical activity every day.  The best part about being active is that it adds up even if they are active 10 minutes at a time.

• Walk around the neighborhood each morning.  It is a little cooler in the mornings and will make the walk more enjoyable when it's not so hot.
• Hula-hoop, hopscotch, jump rope, or a bike ride around the block.  Use the evenings to get your child outside and let them play games with neighbors or family members.
• Visit a local park or hiking trail.  Pack some picnic foods (such as fresh fruits, veggies, whole grain crackers, and nuts or trail mix)  and make a day out of your adventure.  Children will love to explore nature and while being active.
• Family dance parties are perfect on rainy days.  Turn on the music and take turns making up moves!  Enjoy the laughter and family time.
• Have the children help in the garden.  Gardening counts as physical activity too!  Letting them help in the garden will teach them how plants grow.  Children are more likely to try fruits and veggies that they help to grow.

Make sure that everyone drinks plenty of water. It's important to drink a lot of water even before you feel thirsty.

For more ideas on how to keep your children active, visit the Let's Move website.

Celebrate Screen Free Week

Screen Free Week is celebrated May 4-10 this year.  This is a time for families to turn off televisions, computers, video games, and other hand held devices and spend time exploring the community.  This week is also a time to enjoy being active as a family.

How to Go Screen Free
The key to success when reducing screen time is to pick a goal that your family can meet. You may choose to start the week by allowing some screen time, with the goal of cutting it out entirely by weeks end.  It is also a good idea for all family members to be able to choose different activities to do during the week.  Write down the ideas on a calendar and put it on the refrigerator or a bulletin board so that everyone can see it.

Below are some of our favorite ways to get the whole family involved during Screen Free Week without hearing, "I'm bored!" from the kids.

• Go screen free together.  Have everyone put their phones or devices in the same basket right by the door when you get home.
• Take turns as the chef in the kitchen each night.  The chef gets to decide the meal and assign jobs to the other kitchen helpers.  Younger kids can help set the table and wash fruits and vegetables, while older kids and adults can chop veggies, write the menu, and serve the food.
• Turn off electronic devices during meals.  Make it a habit to turn your television, tablet, or other electronic devices off during meal times so that the family can talk about their day.
• Go on a nature walk and skip some rocks!  How many skips can you get?  Also remember to look for birds, find a walking stick, and pick some flowers.
• Plan an indoor or outdoor picnic. Involve everyone by giving tasks like finding the perfect picnic spot, picking a blanket, and helping choose the food.  Prepare picnic foods by peeling oranges, counting carrot sticks and scooping hummus, making homemade popcorn, creating fruit kabobs, and making sandwiches or wraps made with nut butters or cheese.
• Explore your local library, nearby parks, nature centers, art galleries, and recreation centers.  Many of these places have free and low-cost activities for all ages.
•  Create a jumping zone or dance floor. Nothing makes kids giggle like seeing their parents jump on the bed or grooving to the beat on the dance floor.
• Play your favorite card games.  Younger kids will enjoy classic games like Uno, Go Fish, and Crazy Eights.  Older kids may enjoy strategy games like Hearts and Spades.

Screen Free Success!

Going screen free can be fun for everyone with a little effort and creativity.  Look for more ideas on how to go screen free at www.screenfree.org.  Have fun!

Spring Break Challenge!

The snow has melted and the sun is shining.  Finally, it's the time of year kids are waiting for!  Spring break is here!  Make your child's vacation fun and healthy with a Spring Break Challenge!  Do a fun nutrition and physical activity each day during spring break.  If your kids aren't on spring break this week, that's okay.  You can still try these activities before or after school this week.  Here are some ideas to help you out!

1. Monday
• Go to a new park and use the playground equipment to create an obstacle course.
• Visit the grocery store and pick out a new fruit to try that you have never tried before.
2. Tuesday
• Write down different physical activities on a piece of paper and place them in a hat  like toe touches, jumping jacks, hopping on one foot, and acting out a story.  Take turns picking an activity to do until all the activities have been used.
• Cook with kids!  Give the kids a couple of meal options to choose from and then let them help you create it in the kitchen.  Kids can help to stir, wash and cut fruits and veggies.
3. Wednesday
• Go for a long walk with the kids and look for signs of spring!  Try looking for blooming flowers, birds singing, people where lighter jackets, and the sun shining.
• Let your child choose the veggies for dinner.  Give your child two or three different veggies to choose from for dinner tonight.  Your child will love helping to prepare them too!
4. Thursday
• Have a bunny race!  Go outside or to a spacious room inside and have a bunny hopping race with the kids.
• Make a fruit and veggie collage.  The more kids learn about foods the more likely they are to eat them.  Gather a whole bunch of grocery store sales and let the kids make a fruit and veggie collage with their favorite foods.
5. Friday
• Have a veggie taste test!  Put together a tray of veggies or dishes with veggies and have your child taste and rate each one.  You can even let them write up a food review for practice.  Choose a healthier dip for your veggies like hummus or low-fat dip.
• Stretch together.  Let your child pretend they are a flower.  Have them start by curling up in a ball like a bud, and then stretch all the way to the sky like a flower, and do jumping jacks as they bloom!
6. Saturday
• We want to hear about your favorite nutrition and physical activity that you did this week!  Visit our Eat Smart, Be Fit Maryland Facebook page and post a picture in the comments section or send us a comment with a picture of your child doing these activities at eatsmartmd@umd.edu.  We want you to share how you had a healthy spring break!

Going Green for St. Patrick's Day

With all the festive green clothes, decorations and clovers on St. Patrick's Day, why not add the green color into your food?  Here are some healthy recipes that will keep you eating healthy all day long while enjoying the festivities.

This shake is a great way to start your morning or drink for a mid-morning snack!  It is packed with fresh fruit and yogurt that will give you a burst of energy!

Shamrock Smoothie

Ingredients:
6 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut into quarters
1 cup seedless green grapes
1 banana
6 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup orange juice
3 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup ice

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. If texture is too smooth add a few more ice cubes.
4. Pour into glasses and garnish with kiwi fruit slices.

Green Pizza

Ingredients:

1 prepared whole-wheat pizza dough

2 cups broccoli, chopped

1/4 cup water

5 ounces arugula, chopped and stems removed

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Pinch of salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in lowest position.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Add water and chopped broccoli to skillet and cover.  Let cook for about 3 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
3. Add arugula and cook by stirring for about 1-2 minutes or until wilted.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Mix olive oil and garlic together and spread over prepared pizza crust.
5. Top with broccoli and arugula mixture.  Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake until crispy and golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Don't forget to try fun activities with the kids too!   With all the delicious festive dishes, remember to include physical activity on St. Patrick's Day!  Below are some fun ways to increase physical activity with the entire family.

St. Patrick's Day Scavenger Hunt

This scavenger hunt is a great way to add physical activity with the entire family!  Using outdoor objects is a quick and inexpensive way to create the game!

Look for:

1 long branch

1 leaf from a tree

1 spring flower

1 four-leaf clover

An usual shaped rock

Four-leaf  Clover Squats

These squats only take 5 minutes and can be done just about anywhere!  They are especially great to do during a commercial break.

1. Stand with feet should width apart.
2. Bend until your legs are at a 90-degree angle.
3. Slowly straighten your legs to a standing position.
4. Repeat this motion 12 times.  Do 3 sets!

Reducing Screen Time in Winter Months

Do you find yourself watching more TV than usual in the winter?  Are you less physically active in the winter months?  If you answered yes, then your children probably would, too!

Because it isn't always as easy to get outside for a walk or run when the weather is cold and snowy, you might need to use your imagination and come up with some ways to get your family moving during the winter!

• Take advantage of nice days and walk as a family, play basketball, or walk the dog!
• When cold temperatures keep you inside, put on some music and have a dance contest.
• Run up and down the steps in your house if you have them!
• Play with soft balls and tag each other with one.

If you have the space, make one area of the house your active area, where everyone can move without bumping into anything breakable.

Find out what is happening in the community.  Are there outdoor ice skating rinks or indoor skating rinks?  Is anyone offering indoor basketball games?  Watch for flyers from your child's school -- many schools hold family fun and fitness nights where you can get really active together!

The ideas below might not be a way to get physical activity, but you will have some quality family time and you won't be watching the TV: 

• Pull out those old board games and have family game night!  Set aside one night each week when each family member reads their favorite book; share what you're reading with each other! 
• Start a new hobby!  Learn a new craft like sewing, knitting, or cooking, or work on your family history, scrapbooking, etc.

There are many fun ways to spend time together as a family without screen time!   However you do it, just keep moving all winter long.

For more ideas, visit the President's Challenge Newsletter.

Winter Physical Activity Fun

The cold weather and holiday treats can make us lose motivation for physical activity this time of the year!  Stay active by making physical activity fun for the whole family.  Why not start a fun physical activity challenge when the kids are home from school?  Pick a new physical activity to do for each day of the week!  Keep track on a chart at home.

Here's an example of a chart to help track your child's progress!  To download your own copy of a tracking sheet, click here. 

Here are some fun ideas to get you started:

Indoor activities

• Dance, Dance, Dance --  Turn on music and have the kids dance to 3 or more of their favorite songs!  You can also find some great children's dance videos on YouTube to get the kids moving.
• Hot Lava --  Set pillows up in a course around the house.  The goal is to travel from pillow to pillow without touching the ground.  This gets the kids jumping and moving!  Have them make a story to go along with the game!
• The Exercise Hat -- Fill a hat with different activities like toe touches, jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups and high jumps.  Have the kids pick from the hat and do the activity as many times as they can.
• Make a Yoga Routine -- Watch kids yoga videos with your child.  Teach them 3-4 moves and then have them make their own sequence.  Listen to relaxing music to set the mood.
• Indoor Bowling -- Use plastic cups or empty water bottles to set up an indoor bowling alley.  Let kids roll a bouncy ball and knock over the cups.  Then see how quickly they can clean up and reset the alley!
• Indoor Hopscotch -- Use masking tape to set up an indoor hopscotch course.  Use a bean bag to toss and hop to the square you land on.  Be a good role model and play along with the kids!

Outdoor Activities

• Ride Bikes -- Bundle up with scarves and gloves and take the bikes out for a spin. 
• Have an Outdoor Scavenger Hunt --  Make a list of 10 things that you may see during a walk.  Try a new path or a new course and have the kids check items off the list that they see or find.
• Play in the Snow --  If it's snowing let the kids have a shoveling contest and see who can build the largest pile of snow.   Making snow angels and snow men count too!

How to Get Your Family Fit for the Holidays!

The holiday season is a very busy time for many families and can be hard to find time to get in physical activity.  However, fitting in small amounts of physical activity more frequently can make a big difference.   Try some of these tips to stay active over the holidays:

• Move more when running errands.  Park in the back of the parking lot, walk an extra lap around the mall, and choose the stairs over the escalator.  
• Clean up the house.  Cleaning out the closet, raking leaves, shoveling snow,  cooking can even count towards physical activity!
• Play a game of touch football or other sports with family and friends.  Play football, soccer or kickball - or any other sport that your family enjoys.  Be sure to get the kids involved in choosing the sport or activity.
• Schedule a walking date.  Catch up with an old friend by exploring a new walking trail or take a stroll around the neighborhood.
• Check out the neighborhood light display.  Have a family walk around your neighborhood or nearby park to see all of the beautiful lights on display.

What is your favorite physical activity to do with your family during busy times?