The Kinds of Choices Kids Make That Impact Their Health

The lessons in this unit teach kids that recharge is all about energy—and that your energy is a key influencer of healthy choices. You recharge your energy two ways:

1. Relax and do a quiet activity without screen time such as mindful activities, drawing, writing, reading, or doing puzzles. 
2. Sleep 9–12 hours each night to restore energy.*

*Following are the minimum and maximum hours of sleep for different age groups as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Ages 4-12 months: 12-16 hours (including naps)
• Ages 1-2 years: 11-14 hours (including naps)
• Ages 3-5 years: 10-13 hours (including naps)
• Age 6-12 years: 9-12 hours
• Age 13-18 years: 8-10 hours

Talk to your students about times when they feel tired. Ask students to show you with their bodies what it looks like to be tired. Ask them what kinds of things they choose to do when they are tired. Then switch gears and ask them to show you what their bodies look like when they are wide awake and full of energy. Ask them what kinds of things they choose to do when they are full of energy. Finally, ask them to show you what they feel like when they aren’t tired yet they aren’t full of energy. Can they tell the difference between the three?

To use this with your students click here.

How Does Your Body Show its Energy Level?

Follow along with the slideshow and have students show their energy level by either sitting on the floor (low), standing (in the middle), or standing with hands in the air (fully recharged).

First, ask students to show what their energy level was after school the previous day. Then, they show their energy from the night before. Conclude by asking students to show what their energy level is right now!

Energy Influences Choices

Explain that energy influences the choices we make each day. Invite students to talk about a time when their energy influenced a choice.

Check for understanding: Your _ _ _ _ _ _ influences your choices.

Observe Your Own Energy

Look back at the My Energy printable from Lesson 1. Ask students to write or draw a healthy choice they can make to recharge their energy for each section of the page. 

Talk with kids about ways we recharge our energy.  Ask them to share tips for sleeping more or better at night.  Do they have bedtime routines?  How do they know they’ve gotten enough sleep?