How Kids Can Recharge

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

Ask students, “What does a car need to go? What happens if it uses all the gas in its tank?” Talk about how we have to care for things and recharge them by filling them with what they need. Let them brainstorm ways things recharge; write their ideas on a poster board or a white board for reference.

Share a quick and easy way to recharge their energy by having them pick from the fitBoost in Place Cards. 

To use this with your students click here.

Learn About Recharging Your Body

Ask students to guess how they are like a video game, remote-control toy car, or a computer. (They too must recharge to get energy!)

What Does Having Energy Mean?

Lead a class discussion about how students look and feel when their energy is low.  Follow with a discussion about how students look and feel when they have all the energy they need. Tell students that their bodies need to recharge by sleeping and relaxing to have the energy they need to be active!

Check for understanding:  _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _  to get energy.

Help Kids Study Their Energy Levels

Students reflect on the connection between energy levels and feelings by completing the Match the Mood printable. Explain that they will finish the handout by writing or drawing screen-free activities they do to recharge each day this week.

Review the poster or white board list you created at the beginning of the lesson about ways to recharge. Is there anything you or the students might add to this poster? 

Ask the kids to fold a piece of paper in half. On one side, draw a picture showing what one thing looks like when it is low on energy. On the other side, draw a picture showing the same thing when it is fully recharged.