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TOP Star N EWSLETTER Spring is finally here, but the weather still can’t seem to make up its mind as to whether it wants to be warm or cold! In this April issue, we have some great ideas for both indoor and outdoor physical activities—so you’ll have ideas no matter what the weather is! We also have found a few delicious treats to celebrate Earth Day this month, and we are challenging you to take a fun walk with your kids on National Walking Day. Look further for more details!
Feeding the PICKY Ones We found an article by Claire St. John, MPH RDN, that addresses nearly every parent’s and child care provider’s struggle to get their kids to eat healthy. Claire writes about the concept of “Division of Responsibility”. This concept is simple: you, the parent or child care provider, are responsible for bringing healthy foods to the table, and your kids are responsible for choosing what and how much they eat.
Contents: Feeding the Picky Ones................ 1 Introducing: Asparagus ................. 2 Healthier Options for Earth Day .................................... 3 Indoor or Outdoor Play................. 4
Countless research has shown how unproductive it is to force kids to eat. In fact, forcing kids to eat certain foods makes it less likely that they’ll choose those foods as adults. So be patient, and don’t stress during meal time when you have picky eaters who refuse to eat what you give them! It’s only your job to provide them with healthy options and positive mealtime experiences—they’ll choose what they eat from those options. Remember, it can take 10 or more times of being exposed to a food before a kid will try it! To read the full article and for more information about the concept of “Division of Responsibility”, visit the Dairy Council of California and Ellyn Satter Institute Page 1 webpages. Picture: Free Printable Behavior Charts
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Introducing: ASPARAGUS Introduce your kiddos to Asparagus for the month of April! Allow the children to explore the asparagus with their hands and look at the texture of asparagus buds and stems. Let it be a sensory experience for the kids as they feel and compare the bumpy and smooth areas. Help them learn how to use their hands to snap off the woody ends of asparagus spears. They’ll love the sound and the opportunity to play with their food! Offer asparagus by itself or mix it in to this great healthy pasta recipe (see below). When your kids have tried the new food, reward them with a fun stamp on the hand or a sticker. Relate the asparagus back to lessons that they’re learning in the classroom. Ask them what color asparagus is, have them get up and show you how asparagus is shaped, or ask them what letter asparagus starts with. For more information on how to encourage your kids to eat asparagus and to find more asparagus activity plans, visit the Harvest for Healthy Kids’ webpage (harvestforhealthykids.org).
Asparagus & Mushroom Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce 1 lb. asparagus
¼ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 T lemon zest
¼ tsp. Creole or coarse-grain mustard
1/4 c. strained lemon juice
8 oz. uncooked linguine, whole grain
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 recipe Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
3-4 c. mushrooms, thickly sliced 5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1. Preheat oven to 400ᵒ. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. 2. In large bowl, combine trimmed asparagus and sliced mushrooms. Zest lemons (enough for 1 T), and set zest aside. 3. In small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and mustard. Drizzle over veggies and toss to combine. Spread veggies onto prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove from oven. Let stand for 5-10 min. 4. While veggies roast, cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Prepare alfredo sauce. After adding cheese, add reserved lemon zest. Toss everything together or serve individually! Brought to you by: ourbestbites.com
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DAVIS • MORGAN • WEBER │ A P R I L 2 0 1 6
Celebrate
EARTH DAY!
Earth Day Snack Cups
National Walking Day—April 6 Participate in this year’s National Walking Day on Wednesday, April 6, by joining thousands of children and people across the nation as they choose to walk. Treat your kiddos to a simple 15-30 minute walk—whether it’s down the street, to the park, or even just around your yard. Begin by guiding the children in a teacher-led stretching exercise to get everyone’s bodies warmed up and ready for movement! As you walk, have your kids point out the plants and wildlife they see in celebration of Earth Day/Month. Don’t let the fun stop there though! Let this be the beginning of regular walking times and learning opportunities with your kids.
Peanut Butter Snails
“Ants” on a “Log”
Cucumber, Pretzel, & Apple Heart Trees
Plant a Tree/Garden Friday, April 22, is Earth Day! Celebrate with your kids this month by planting a tree or starting your facility garden! Remember, if this is your first garden, start small. It’s often said that it’s better to be proud of a small garden than frustrated by a big one! To begin your garden, plant any of these hardy/semi-hardy vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, onions, spinach, beets, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes, parsley, and more. For more information and to find great Utah gardening tips, visit the Utah State University Botanical Center or Farm to Preschool webpages!
Grape Caterpillars
Healthier Options:
EARTH DAY TREATS Page 3
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Indoor
R O
Outdoor Play
tape them to the wall at different heights, and if the weather is good enough to go outdoors, tape them to a box (as shown). We recommend placing the unsorted pom-poms in a cup or several cups around the yard or room to encourage more physical activity. Have your kids take a colored pom-pom from the unsorted pile and race over to drop it down the correctly colored tube. Youngsters who don’t understand colors yet can just drop the pom-poms down any tube. They’ll love it! When clean up time comes, have the kids race to put the pompoms back in the storage container or To make the game, collect several card bag. To check out this activity and board tubes and either paint them different others go to The Imagination Tree colors or cover each one with different colored webpage (theimaginationtree.com). construction paper. If playing indoors, We are so excited for the upcoming days that can be spent outdoors! But as the weather continues to switch from cold to warm, we decided to find an activity that can be done both inside and outside—the Colour Sorting Pom-Pom Drop Game from The Imagination Tree. This game is also perfect to do during Earth Month because it creatively reuses old wrapping paper, paper towel, or toilet paper roll cardboard tubes!
DID YOU KNOW?
Earth Day
Around the World 1.
Brought to you by: Teach Preschool
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Children’s
STRESS levels
within
DECREASE
Around the World: Have your kids stand in a circle and pass the “Earth” (beach ball) around to each other. Add several balls in or switch it up and have them throw it to a different person across from them rather than passing it to the person next to them. (This may sound easy for us adults, but it can be tricky for youngsters developing their fine and large motor movements!)
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2.
Parachute Play: Grab a few “Earths” (beach balls) and an old sheet and have some fun! Have your kids hold the edges of the sheet and bounce the balls in the air. Let them chase after the ones that fall off.
MINUTES of seeing
green, outdoor spaces. Brought to you by: American Journal of Public Health