Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, March 15, 2010

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Kids at Northern Elementary tried all sorts of exercises and sampled healthy snacks in the "Fuel Up" Challenge activities.

Northern Elementary hosted a nutrition and physical activity “field day” to emphasize good choices and healthy habits.

Each grade spent an hour in the gym for the March 12 event, rotating in small groups through nearly a dozen activity stations, including sampling tables with fruits and vegetables.

“You have to taste the different things to see if you like them,” said fourth-grader Darrell Ugboaja, who paused to explain the day’s highlights.

The kids tried carrots and broccoli with light Ranch dressing as well as a parfait cup with strawberries, blueberries, low-fat vanilla yogurt and granola. Fourth-grader Jada Biggers noted that a nutritious diet can help ward off diseases like diabetes.

“If you eat at McDonald’s every day, those burgers and fries will make you fat. (That kind of food) has a lot of calories in it,” Jada said.

Northern received a mini-grant to implement the “Fuel Up to Play 60” toolkit, which provides resources to promote exercise and nutrition. Thanks to the Action for Healthy Kids / National Dairy Council Team Grant Program, 13 schools in Kentucky got the funding.

“An hour is not really that long,” Darrell said of the recommended daily exercise. “You can jog, ride your bike or play basketball.”

Northern was among the four schools selected to host a “Fuel Up to Play 60 Challenge Day,” where students had their physical fitness and taste buds put to the test.

The “Play 60” stations were based on the NFL’s Mini-ReCharge Kit. The three-legged race combined cooperative play, communication and teamwork to accomplish a goal. And in the “Star Quarterback Blitz,” students developed foot-speed, coordination and balance while double and single hopping from star to star on a circular course.

The “Fuel Up” component featured the taste-testing challenge. The idea was to encourage nutritious foods that kids often don’t eat enough of – fruits, vegetables, low-fat and fat-free dairy, and whole grains.

“It’s important they learn to make healthy (food) choices early,” said Tricia Crowe, the physical education teacher who organized Northern’s event. “I want to point out to the kids that this is a lifetime thing and they need to be physically active throughout their lives. Just getting them to move at an early age can change their life.”

Darrell agreed it’s best to establish good habits while in school. “If you sit on the couch all day, when you get older, you’ll never exercise and you’ll never be active,” he warned.

Being active was the buzzword on Challenge Day. At one station, kids took turns rolling giant dice to see what they would do and how many times, such as eight push-ups or 10 jumping jacks. At another stop, students tried yoga poses and stretches to improve joint flexibility. The basketball cone dribble and jump-rope stations were among the more familiar activities. Across the room, some students competed in a healthy-snack relay race, while others worked their muscles with the school’s new resistance bands.

Crowe used the $300 mini-grant to buy resistance bands and stability balls, which help with balance and coordination. Students can use this equipment not only in P.E. but also in the classroom for occasional five-minute breaks.

“It shows them they can do exercises and it doesn’t take that long,” she said.

Crowe also has encouraged the kids to track their progress. Since Feb. 1, students have logged in at http://www.fueluptoplay.com/ to calculate their daily exercise and healthy food choices.

“It incorporates technology, and they also see they’re accountable,” she said. “It’s really caught on.”