Resources for Supporting Healthy Minds, Bodies and More

By: Jordin Frey

Everything in life has to be learned. Babies have to learn how to talk, put on their shoes, and drink from a cup. Even as adults, we continue to learn and grow. One of the most common things to learn and practice as an adult is adapting healthy habits. These habits include exercise, eating well, learning how to have good relationships, and how to manage our own emotions. No matter your current health status, there are steps you can take to maintain and improve physical and mental health.

Physical Activity and Active Play

Kids love to play! However, busy schedules and lack of outdoor playspaces mean some kids really struggle to get enough active play on a daily basis. Exercise and movement are vital parts of physical health, but also an important part of being mentally healthy!

• Help Your Kids Get More Physical Activity: Kids need sixty minutes of active movement each day, but it doesn't have to be done all at once.

• American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Kids Infographic: Active spontaneous play is just as important as planned, structured physical activity when it comes to getting kids moving.

• Physical Activity in Children: Jumping rope is fun, and also helps kids build stronger bones!

• Physical Activity for Kids and Teens: Three times a week, kids need to participate in activities that help build muscle and bone mass.

• 5 Easy Ways to Increase Physical Activity for Kids: Limiting screen time is an important part of getting kids to engage in more physical play.

• 10 Indoor Physical Activities for Kids: Being stuck inside doesn't have to stop you from getting sixty minutes of active movement! Lots of fun activities can be safely done indoors.

• Move it! The Importance of Daily Exercise for Kids: Kids as young as three can participate in this lesson so they can learn why exercise is so important.

• Physical Activity for Children and Teens: Four videos help tweens and teens learn why physical activity is an important part of staying healthy.

• A 'Zombie Myth' Is Preventing U.S. Kids From Getting Proper Exercise: 80% of kids from 11-18 don't get the recommended amount of exercise regularly.

• The Benefits of Physical Activity and Exercise on Mental Health: Exercise is great for bodies, but also helps maintain good mental health.

Nutrition and Health Education

Eating well is important for everyone. A good diet helps people maintain consistent energy levels, have stable moods, and grow strong bodies. It's important that kids learn how to make good food choices, but it's just as important that they develop a healthy relationship with food and eating!

• Nutrition Tips for Kids: Adults should model the healthy eating style they want kids to embrace.

• MyPlate Maze (PDF): The USDA designed MyPlate to teach kids about healthy eating habits. This maze is a fun way for kids to understand how to make good choices.

• The Snack Shack: The FDA designed this game to help students learn how to read the nutrition labels that come on all packaged foods.

• Food Hero Activity Sheets: Crosswords and coloring sheets are just some of the fun worksheets available at this site, developed by Oregon State University.

• Four Fun Ways to Teach Children About Nutrition: Kids, especially young ones, often don't want to try new foods. These games help them become familiar with vegetables!

• Kid's Healthy Eating Plate: Harvard University designed the graphic to teach kids what healthy plates look like.

• How to Teach Children About Healthy Eating, Without Food Shaming: Sometimes adults have issues regarding food and eating that they accidentally teach to the children in their lives.

• How To Teach Kids Healthy Eating Habits: Family meal times are important for kids to learn good eating habits and build stronger relationships with their families.

• Pick Your Plate! A Global Guide to Nutrition: The Smithsonian designed this game to teach kids about nutrition and global eating habits.

• The Importance of Good Nutrition for Kids: Healthy diets help kids be as physically and emotionally well as they can possibly be!

Social Emotional Learning and Discovery

Ever seen a little kid throw a big fit? This happens because kids experience big emotions but don't always know how to manage them or how to calm themselves when they become upset. Sometimes people become adults without ever learning these skills. Learning how to regulate an emotional state helps everyone develop better relationships with family, friends, and other people in their lives.

• 25 Social Emotional Learning Activities & How They Promote Student Well-Being: Students have to learn social skills and how to manage their emotions, just like they have to learn to spell or add!

• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Nutrition Education: Nutrition has an impact on people's well-being.

• Snow Theme Social Emotional Activities for Preschoolers: Preschoolers have big emotions, and these activities help them learn how to manage those feelings.

• Social-Emotional Activities for Toddlers: Teaching toddlers how to manage their feelings helps cut down on the number of tantrums they throw.

• 5 Social-Emotional Learning Games to Play with Your Child: One skill kids need to develop is to understand their current energy level. Are they tired? Do they need to move? Having this knowledge will help them self-regulate.

• Focus on Five: Social Emotional Learning Activities for Remote or In-Person Learning: Parents and teachers can use these activities.

• Our Best Selves: Scholastic developed this curriculum to help kids learn how to be the best version of themselves they can possibly be!

• What Are Social-Emotional Skills?: Babies begin learning social-emotional skills at birth.

• How to Teach Social-Emotional Learning at Home: Communication skills are an important part of developing good social skills and having healthy relationships.

• How Does Social and Emotional Development Affect Learning?: One thing adults should purposefully try to teach babies and children is empathy.

Adapted Physical Education

Kids with physical or mental challenges still need to learn how to incorporate movement and exercise into their lives. Luckily, there are many ways that standard kid activities can be adapted so that kids with various levels of physical, mental, and behavioral health can participate in classic games like volleyball!

• How to Make Your Physical Education Class More Inclusive: 92% of all Elementary students can be included in PE classes if modifications are made for their safety and ability level.

• Adapted Physical Education: Adapted physical education aims to allow all students to participate in PE.

• Adapted Physical Education (APE) (PDF): Students with emotional or behavioral disabilities are also candidates for modified physical education.

• Differentiating Instruction for Students with Disabilities: Modeling the activity and providing verbal instructions throughout are two simple ways to adapt common physical education activities like volleyball or bowling.

• Best Adapted and Inclusive PE Games: Life-Sized Chutes and Ladders is a fun game that can be easily modified to meet a variety of students' needs.

• Adapted Physical Education Wheelchair Activities: 25 Fun and Engaging Movement Experiences for PE: Students in wheelchairs can also participate in a variety of standard PE games and activities.

• Inclusive School Physical Education and Physical Activity: Federal law requires that all students receive appropriate physical education, even students with physical or mental learning issues.

• Modifying Physical Activities to Include Individuals with Disabilities: A Systematic Approach (PDF): Games and equipment should be adapted to make PE accessible to any student.

• Physical Activity for Students With Special Needs: One reason all students need to participate in PE is so they develop healthy habits that they can take into adulthood.

• Adaptive Physical Education Games: Soccer, basketball, and tennis are just some popular games that can be adapted for students with various needs.