When and Where Kids Can Make Healthy Choices

Being fit is not just about what you eat or drink or how you move. Being fit is about having enough energy and motivation to make healthy nutrition and physical activity choices. Four key factors of well-being help you to be fit:

• Mood: Motivate Your Mood
• Food: Think Your Food
• Recharge: Recharge Your Energy
• Move: Move Your Body

The lessons in this unit help students connect the four parts of fit with everyday choices by teaching them how to do a choice-check. A choice-check is a tool for the moments when a child needs to make a choice. Your students will learn to be mindful and stop to think about their energy and mood before making a choice—then decide the best choice, the fit choice! Print and display the fit Wellness Posters to help them be mindful of healthy choices they can make throughout the day.

Have kids describe what a healthy choice is. Then have kids turn to a partner and talk about a healthy choice that made them feel good.

To use this with your students click here.

Help Kids Think About Healthy Choices

Read the slideshow story aloud to see what choices Alex, Leila, and Miguel make throughout their day.

Kids Can Make Healthy Choices

Discuss with students that there are many times and places when and where they can do a choice-check to help themselves make healthy choices. Note that times and places can include mornings, afternoons, evenings, at bedtime, at home, and at school.

Check for understanding: What are the best times and places for you do to a choice-check?

How to Get Kids to Think About Healthy Choices

Students tell one another about times and places to include a choice-check in their day. Ask them to identify a trusted adult they can ask for help if assistance is needed.

Today we’ve learned about when to take time to do a choice-check and what we can do if assistance is needed. Next, we will learn about how to integrate choice-checks into our daily routine.