Boomerang Issue #1 - Debut Issue by Hancock Health

BoomeranG DEBUT ISSUE

YOUR PLACE FOR FUN GAMES & MORE.

Welcome to Boomerang! The brand new magazine created just for 3rd & 4th grade students. It’s going to make you feel just like you’re out chilling on a warm summer day. Open it up and see what’s inside. SPOILER ALERT, it’s full of fun games, puzzles, jokes, riddles and MORE. But watch out! You just might learn something.

ISSUE #1 • winter 2019

In This Issue Super Snowman School...................... 2 Follow the 5 S’s & put all the other snowmen to shame

Attack of the Ginormous Germs!!....... 3 Fight back! Washing your hands matters

What’s a Booger?............................... 6 I’ll give you a hint, it’s not one of the main food groups

Family Room Warrior Ninjas............... 7 Stuck inside? Fun ways to keep active

6 Steps to an Epic Lunch..................... 9 Who says kid’s can’t cook

Games Page..................................... 10 Puzzles, mazes, riddles and other cool stuff

Super Snowman School

Healthy Outside

So, you want to build a really cool snowman? Just follow the 5 S’s. SNOW - Two to three inches is enough snow.

But it has to be between wet and powdery snow to stick. If you can make a nice snowball to throw, then it will work. SPOT - Someplace flat and shady and in the

center of the patch of snow you plan to roll your ball in. SHAPE - You can make a traditional three ball

snowman (head, middle, bottom) or any design you want, like an animal or a spaceship. STABILITY - Pack a snowball as large as you can

with your hands, then place it on the ground and roll it around until you like the size. Brace the area around it by packing extra snow around the bottom. Flatten the top of each snowball before putting the next one on top. STYLE - Try a cowboy hat, a Pikachu hat or a

Mohawk. Give your snowman a funny face. Use pine cones for eyes and a banana for a nose. Make your snowman play air guitar or tennis. Be creative.

Don’t forget to give it a name and take a selfie with your new friend!

Safety first! Layer up! Bitter cold and snow can cause frostbite. Wear several layers and make sure your head, neck and hands are covered. Stay warm and dry! If you get wet or you’re cold, or feel any tingling or numbness in your fingers or toes, time to come inside. Play it safe! It’s not safe to play or sled in the street. Cars may not be able to see you and icy roads makes stopping difficult. Don’t forget sunscreen and drink lots of water!

PARENTS FYI Kids Can Overheat in Winter If you notice your child sweating while outside, have them come in and remove some layers, especially layers that may be wet.

Healthy Me

ATTACK OF THE Ginormous GERMS!! GINORMOUS What’s the big deal about washing my hands? Have you heard of GERMS? They’re out there. Just waiting to strike! That’s why you’re probably told to wash your hands, a lot I bet. But, do you know why it really is so important? Think about everything you did today. You probably touched some door knobs. You may have blown your nose, hugged a reindeer, touched the gum under your desk, or maybe played some video games. Did you go to school today? Did you play outside? And you had to use the bathroom. That is a lot of places with a lot of germs. What if no one washed their hands and we were all touching the same things you are touching? Pretty gross, huh. Think about all the germs you have on your hands when it’s time to eat. Do you really want to touch the food you put into your mouth with those “germy” hands? That’s like asking an army of germs to just march right in.

(cont’d on page 5)

Germ-A-palooza Your secret weapon against Germs But you can win the battle against those nasty germs and keep you and the others around you healthy. WASH YOUR HANDS. Makes sense now, doesn’t it. Do you know when to wash your hands? If your hands are dirty, wash them. That’s pretty easy. But there are other important times to wash your hands. • Always after using the bathroom • Before eating or touching food • After touching animals

PARENTS FYI

Get your kids excited about hand washing. Let them pick out their favorite scented soap • After you have been on and some fun hand towels. your tablet, phone or Make a game of who has playing video games the best smelling hands! • If you blow your nose, cough

• When you get home from school

or have been around someone who is sick • When you come in from playing outside

If you don’t remember, you can always ask an adult if you should wash your hands. But, if you really want to keep those germs away you need to be washing your hands the right way. Luckily, it’s not hard to do. • Warm or cold water is fine. You don’t have to use hot water. Any kind of soap works. Maybe you have a favorite color or smell. • Lather both of your hands all over, between your fingers and under your nails, where the sneaky germs like to hide.

Color some germs of your own!

• Do this for 10-15 seconds. The time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. • Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.

Happy washing. Send those germs packing!

Nasal Mysteries

What’s a Booger? Hey, get your finger outta there! Instead of picking them out, let’s learn about those little blobs. Yeah, we’re talking about boogers. To understand what boogers are, you need to know about mucus (say: MYOO-kus). Mucus is the sticky, slimy stuff that’s made inside your nose, airways, and even your stomach. If you’re like lots of kids, you have another name for nose mucus: snot. Your nose and sinuses make about a quart (approximately 8 juices boxes) of snot every day. Mucus has a pretty important job — it keeps the lining of your nose moist and warms the air you breathe. Mucus also protects the lungs. When you breathe in air through your nose, it contains lots of tiny things, like dust, dirt, germs, and pollen. If these made it all the way to the lungs, the lungs could get irritated or infected, making it tough to breathe. Luckily, snot helps trap this stuff, keeping it in the nose and out of the lungs.

nose is working the way it should!

After this stuff gets stuck inside the nose, the mucus surrounds it and some of the tiny hairs inside the nose called cilia (say: SIL-eeuh). These hairs help move the mucus and the trapped stuff toward the front of the nose or the back of the throat. When the mucus, dirt, and other debris get dry and clump together, you’re left with a booger.

If you have to get rid of boogers, your best bet is to blow ‘em out of your nose and into a tissue. Picking your nose isn’t a great idea because boogers contain lots of germs and because poking around in your nose can make it bleed.

Boogers can be squishy and slimy or tough and crumbly. Everybody gets them, so they’re not a big deal. In fact, boogers are a sign that your

Indoor Madness

Family Room Warrior Ninjas

Fun ways to stay active inside when it’s too cold to play outside. Have you heard how important regular physical activity is? Did you know you should get 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day? It is important to your health and growth. Plus you will reduce your risk of getting sick a lot later in life. It’s easy to get off the bus, do homework and then zone out in front of a screen. I get it – it’s cold and dark outside and the couch is so comfy. Time to take charge of your health and bring the fun inside with a little creativity and imagination. Create your own winter routine to include plenty of physical activity every day, but focus on activities that help move your muscles and get your heart pumping, like push-ups, jumping rope and running. Here are a few suggestions to get you moving this winter.

Indoor Obstacle Courses Ask an adult where it is safe to create an indoor obstacle course. Build tunnels and tubes by stacking up cushions and pillows to make hurdles, and chairs covered with blankets to make tunnels. Include jump rope, ring toss, or hula hoop. Make it harder by hopping on one foot, crab walking or doing the army crawl. When you’re done, set a timer and see how fast you can clean up and put it all away.

Indoor Freeze Tag Choose who will be “It” to catch and tag. Once tagged, a player must freeze in that position until released. Or play tag in a dark room with a flashlight.

Freeze Dance Turn on your favorite music and get everybody dancing. Then, stop the music, and everyone has to stop dancing too. Catch somebody still moving? They’re out of the game. Last one still dancing wins! Or just have a big dance party.

Balloon Tennis or Volleyball Blow up a balloon, tie a string across two chairs or tape a string between two walls and bat the balloon back and forth. For more fun, make

it a competition and see if you can keep your balloon in the air the longest! Your arms will get quite a workout.

Snowball fight Grab your brother or sister, friend or favorite adult. Reach into your paper recycle bin and pull out paper or newspaper. Wad the paper up into tight balls. Make as many as you need and fire away. But make sure you pick them all up and toss them back into the recycling bin when you are done.

Water bottle bowling

Home Mini Golf

Grab several unopened water bottles or reuse some from the recycling bin. Fill them with water and line them up into three lines. Make a line with a yardstick or string about 10 feet away and bowl away. Then time yourself to see how quickly you can reset the bottles. Keep score or just play for fun, either way it’s a great way to spend time indoors.

Ask an adult to borrow their golf club or buy one from a used sports gear store. Round up a few plastic cups and balls to practice your miniature golf skills. Just don’t hit the ball too hard. Do jumping jacks every time you hit a hole-in-one.

Bundle Up & Go Outside Anyway Unless it’s truly freezing, put on your coat, hat and gloves and head outdoors for a refreshing walk or a game of tag or soccer. Breathe in the fresh air, enjoy the sunshine, and then head inside and warm up with a cup of hot chocolate.

PARENTS FYI Give your kids an exercise video or DVD. You can find aerobics, dance, yoga, and even martial arts videos. There are also lots of exercise videos on YouTube. Find video games like kick-boxing, tennis, baseball, bowling or dancing and they’ll never have to leave the living room.

PORTABLE Nutrition

PARENTS FYI Put the lunch items in an easy to reach and memorable place. Show them correct portion sizes VEGETABLE OPTIONS: baby ahead of time. carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, leftover roasted vegetables (such as green beans or carrots), salad, broccoli, or salsa

The 6 Steps to Launch an EPIC lunch Don’t like what mom packs in your lunchbox? Then pack your own lunch. Make yourself happy by making it yummy and make mom happy by making it healthy at the same time! To get started, make a list of all the foods you enjoy for lunch. Think of other options with your mom, and be willing to try something new. Hit the grocery store together to buy the items on the list, and help put them away so you know where they are. Ask if you can set up a lunch making station, with lunchbox, baggies, plastic wrap, plastic containers, reusable water bottle, napkins and a fork or spoon. Pick a good time to make your lunch. Is it the night before or in the morning? When it’s time to put your lunch together. Pick one thing from each type of food on the list below.

Here is a list to get you started: PROTEIN FOODS: deli meat, nut butters,

hard-boiled egg, beans, chicken or tuna salad STARCHY FOOD: whole-grain bread

slices, sandwich wrap, popcorn, pretzels, tortilla chips, pasta salad, whole-grain crackers, granola bar, and occasionally chips FRUIT OPTIONS: apple slices,

grapes, clementine (Cuties), peach, pear, berries, fruit salad, or fruit cups in water or juice

DAIRY OPTIONS: yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese

stick, or milk (or soy or dairy free options) HEALTHY FAT OR DIP: hummus, guacamole,

salad dressing, trail mix or nuts, or a small piece of chocolate Your finished lunchbox should have: 1 protein, 1 starchy food, 1 fruit and veggie, 1 dairy option (if no dairy sensitivities), 1 healthy fat and your water bottle. Make sure to use correct portion sizes, an adult can help show you.

Goodnight, Mia

Games, Finally

Instructions: Help Mia decide which things are healthy sleep habits and which aren’t. Circle the healthy sleep habits and put an X next to things that Mia should not do.

Drink a soda before going to bed.

Sleep in a dark room. Sleep with pets. Take a bath before bedtime.

Write in a journal to clear her mind before going to sleep.

Read a book before going to sleep.

Watch a scary movie.

Go to bed at the same time each night.

Dr. Chuckle’s Recap & Review Article #1 - Snowman

Q: What do you get if you cross a snowman and a shark? a: Frost bite! Q: What is a snowman’s favorite snack? a: Ice Krispy treats. Q: Where does a snowman keep his money? a: In a snow bank. Article #1 - Cold Weather Safety

How do you know when it is too cold

to have a picnic outside?

a: When you

chip your tooth on your soup!

What do mountains wear to keep warm? a: Snowcaps. Knock, knock! Who’s there? Lettuce. Lettuce who? Lettuce in, it’s cold outside!

Q: Which country has the most germs? a: Germany. Q: Why did the germ cross the microscope? A: To get to the other slide!

___________________________ ___________________________ Boomerang Back Page Find your way! Solve the maze and I.D. the organs & parts of your body. HEART

10 5

START

HAIR LUNGS

EARS

INTESTINES EYES BRAIN

LIVER TOOTH

NOSE

KIDNEYS

STOMACH DNA HANDS

END

BLOOD CELLS

Impress THE parents J wow your friends!

DR. Chuckle’s Recap & Review Article #3 - Boogers

What’s the difference between boogers

a: Kids don’t eat broccoli.

Just act cool and drop one or several of these easy-to-use, super-smart facts. Then walk away leaving them in shock.

and broccoli?

1. A bunch of bananas is

Article #4 - Warrior Ninjas

2. Food dropped on hard

What do birds do before they workout? A: They do their worm-ups.

called a hand.

floors gets more germs than food dropped on carpet.

3. Women are more likely to eat food dropped on the floor.

Q: How do you make a tissue dance? a : Put a little boogie in it. Q: Q:

What is a frog’s favorite exercise? A: Jumping Jacks.

Boomerang Issue #1 - Debut Issue

Articles inside

6 Steps to an Epic Lunch

Family Room Warrior Ninjas

Super Snowman School

Attack of the Ginormous Germs

What’s a Booger?