Healthy children, kura and schools
Improving the health and wellbeing of children is an effective way to improve learning outcomes and nurture a healthy community.
At Toi Te Ora Public Health our vision is for all schools, early childhood centres and kohanga reo to become health promoting environments, involving the whole school community in activities that promote health and wellbeing.
Schools, early childhood centres and kohanga reo have the opportunity to create a culture of healthy eating where children are supported to develop positive food behaviours that will help them to grow into healthy adults, and also help to maintain these behaviours at home.
Building Blocks for Under 5s
Toi Te Ora Public Health's Building Blocks for Under 5s (Building Blocks) is a comprehensive tool developed to support early childhood education services to improve and sustain health and wellbeing. It is designed to complement existing structures and resources within early childhood education services, including weaving the principles and strands of Te Whāriki and the four cornerstones of Te Whare Tapa Wha.
Building Blocks uses a fun and interactive building frame to achieve each of the eight Blocks that make up the tool, with each Block representing a key aspect of health. One of the Blocks is 'Kai Time - Wā Kai'.
Learn more about Building Blocks
5210 is a set of resources that encourage tamariki and their whānau to eat more vegetables and fruit, limit screen time, be active, and drink water or milk instead of sugary drinks.
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Resources are available in English and Te Reo Māori.
Early learning services play an important role in creating healthy environments for children to learn in. Below are ideas and links to resources that early learning services can use to support 5210 messages.
5 or more vegetables and fruit
Ideas for early learning services:
- Develop/review menu or lunchbox guidelines that encourage tamariki to eat vegetables and fruit, especially for celebrations, birthdays and fundraising.
- Register for the Heart Foundation's Healthy Heart Award and access free resources from their website (e.g. policies, newsletter snippets, menu and lunchbox ideas).
- Have a recipe challenge, or a fruit or vege themed day and make fruit and vege animals to share.
More resources:
- Learn by Heart (newsletter snippets, healthy celebrations and fundraising ideas, recipes)
- Fresh Made (sample menus for early learning services)
- Healthy Kids: Eat (tips, recipes, resources)
Less than 2 hours of screen time
(Less than 1 hour of screen time for 2-5 year olds, and no screen time for under 2 year olds)
Ideas for early learning services:
- Develop/review policies around screen time and sleep
- Provide newsletter snippets with tips for limiting screen use and helping kids sleep.
- Encourage adults (parents/teachers) to limit screen use in front of tamariki. Have an ideas board for whānau to share technology-free activities/ideas.
More resources:
- Healthy Kids: Sleep (tips, videos, resources)
- Sit less, move more, sleep well (infographics, videos, lullaby, waiata, karakia)
- Sleep tips for helping young children sleep better
- Screen time resource for whānau
Be active for 1 hour or more
Ideas for early learning services:
- Develop/review policy to ensure active movement and play is an everyday part of centre routines.
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Encourage alternative transport other than cars, and hold activity based events (e.g. fundraising dance-a-thon, wheels day. Make regular excursions to local parks and reserves).
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Use physical activity as a reward (e.g. dancing, scavenger hunt, special access to an activity).
More resources:
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Healthy Kids: Move (tips, resources)
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Activity Guides (information, ideas, games) and information about play.
0 sugary drinks - choose water or plain milk
Ideas for early learning services:
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Develop/review a water and milk only policy for your early learning service and be sugary drink free.
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Have self-help water stations for tamariki, staff and whānau. Display posters showing how much sugar is in common drinks, such as fruit juice, sports drinks, and fizzy drinks.
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Have information available for parents about enrolling children with the dental clinic or oral health service.
More resources:
- Water and sugary drink resources
- Water only policy templates
- Information about the Switch To Water Challenge (held annually in November)
Other helpful resources:
- Calendar of Events (e.g. World Book Day, World Sleep Day)
- Subscribe to Kids Health Pānui - an e-newsletter for early learning services
- Become an accredited breastfeeding friendly centre
- Join a staff wellness programme