If you follow a balanced, healthy lifestyle you will have plenty of energy for play and for your school work.
Teach your children about healthy lifestyles using our handy topic guide!
Teaching Ideas
- Ask children to make a list of things that help them to keep healthy. Compare the lists; what do you notice? What kinds of things help us to stay healthy?
- Use the Public Health England Food Detectives Resources as the basis of lessons about eating healthily.
- Ask children to think about the food that they like, and don’t like. These resources from Food A Fact of Life are really helpful.
- Read the nutritional information on the packaging of different foods and drinks and find out how much sugar is in each. Measure out the sugar to show children how much sugar they are consuming from each one.
Resources
- Download our Healthy Living Pack for lots of resources and activities.
- Our Health Banners are perfect for your display board.
- This Health Toolkit is full of ideas for keeping clean.
Healthy Lifestyle Facts
- About 60% of the human body is water, which is why it is so important to keep hydrated.
- In the UK, the recommended daily maximum amount of sugar for a seven-year-old is 24 grams or 6 sugar cubes.
- Too much sugar in the diet can cause tooth decay.
- A good night’s sleep is important; it can improve your concentration, repair your body, make memories and help you to stay at a healthy weight.
- Children should spend at least an hour a day doing physical activity and not spend too long sitting or lying down.
Videos
Keeping my body healthy
This is a good overview for younger children.
Running time: 2.28
Healthy Eating: An introduction for children aged 5-11
This video is useful for discussing healthy food.
Running time: 2:03
Why Do We Need Sleep?
Why is sleep so important?
Running time: 3:32
What happens inside your body when you exercise?
A great summary of why exercise is important.
Running time: 2:33
5 Minute Move | Kids Workout 1
Try a quick workout with the Body Coach.
Running time: 5:49
Books
I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato
Charlie helps Lola to see that healthy food is delicious.
Oliver's Vegetables
Oliver helps his grandad in the garden, and discovers he does like vegetables, after all.
Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?
Poor little bear just can’t sleep, in this classic picture book.
Eating The Alphabet: Fruits & Vegetables from A to Z
Younger children will enjoy this fruit and vegetable ABC.
Good Enough to Eat: A Kid's Guide to Food and Nutrition
A great guide to this important subject.
Annabel Karmel's Fun, Fast and Easy Children's Cookbook
Try some of the healthy recipes in this cookbook.
Looking After Your Health
A guide to keeping healthy for older children.
Links
- Visit the Eat Move Learn section of the World Cancer Research Fund for lots of activities to help children keep healthy.
- The Train like an Astronaut site from the UK Space Agency has lots of ideas for keeping fit, just like an astronaut!
- Visit the Eat Well site for lots of information about a balanced diet.
- The Yorkshire Sport site has loads of ideas for exercise at home.
Are you teaching your children about other topics? Explore our full collection of guides!
