Information For | Pārongo Education Sector Childhood Nutrition and Wellbeing

Childhood Nutrition and Wellbeing

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 kōhanga reo to become health promoting environments, involving the whole school community in activities that promote health and wellbeing. 

Schools, early childhood centres and kōhanga 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. 

 

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.

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:

                                                                                                                                                         

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:

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.

  • 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).

  • Use physical activity as a reward (e.g. dancing, scavenger hunt, special access to an activity).

More resources:

0 sugary drinks - choose water or plain milk

Ideas for early learning services:

  • Develop/review a water and milk only policy for your early learning service and be sugary drink free.

  • 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.

  • Have information available for parents about enrolling children with the dental clinic or oral health service.

More resources:


Other helpful resources:

Updated 19 Jul, 2022