Health & Wellness Week took a few years off but is back in 2023 as Health & Wellness Month!
Our goal is to bring you fun, educational activities that you can do as a family centering around our 4 themes of the week: Physical Activity; Nutrition; Mindfulness; and Social-Emotional Learning.
During the next four weeks, we are hoping you learn something new, adopt a new healthy habit, get in some family time and meet up with our amazing MPE community at one of our events.
Mark your calendar for our 2 events: Family Fitness Fun starting at 9:30 am on Sat. Jan. 28th and Fun & Facts Night starting at 6:30 pm on Wed. Feb. 8th. More details about the events to come. Get updates about all things PTA via our Panther Press, website or social media.
Download extra Bingo sheets here:
Physical Activity
Our first week's theme is Physical Activity. A bingo sheet was sent home this week in your child's folder; you can download extra copies here.
Congratulations to Mrs. Amin for winning the Staff Step Competition with over 130,000 steps!
Congratulations to Mrs. Armstrong for winning the draw for participating in the Staff Step Competition.
Related Links
Why should we get our kids moving? How much exercise should your child be getting? Read the answers here.
New to the Triangle? There are some great Wake County parks and Town of Cary parks you should check out.
Need ideas for fun outdoors adventures? Check out this free program that aims to get kids spending more time outdoors. New activities are posted weekly.
Rainy weather? Bored kids? Try some of these free online workouts designed for kids.
nutrition
Our second week's theme is Nutrition. A bingo sheet was sent home this week in your child's folder; you can download extra copies here.
Related Links
How much water should you drink every day?
Nutrition ebooks. Games. Apps. Activity sheets. Check them out here.
Learn about kitchen safety with your kids
Nutrition information from pediatricians
Healthy online recipes for families:
Why should you eat the rainbow? Read these interesting articles for the answer.
From Healthline and from Discoverhealth.org
mindfulness
We all do it. We fold clothes reminding the kids to do their homework while a show streams on the TV and we wait for the pasta to boil. In the crazy daily rush to check off all the things on our list, we can easily lose ourselves and lose touch of what's happening in the moment. We challenge you to slow your pace this week and practice some mindfulness. What is this mindfulness thing? Why should you try it? How can you start practicing it? Read on below.
Download this week's Bingo sheet.
What is Mindfulness?
Simply put, mindfulness is an awareness of the present moment - awareness of our feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.
Mindfulness has been practiced for thousands of years by different religions, many of which originated in the east, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. It became popular in the west with the development of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program, of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which treats depression, and with the foundation of the Insight Meditation Society. (positivepsychology.com/history-of-mindfulness)
What are the benefits of mindfulness?
From www.mindful.org/mindfulness-for-kids:
- Increased focus, attention, self-control, classroom participation, compassion.
- Improved academic performance, ability to resolve conflict, overall well-being.
- Decreased levels of stress, depression, anxiety, disruptive behavior.
Let's get started!
1. Download these printable breathing cards to learn some easy breathing exercises. Your kid can't sit still? No problem, start with 10 breaths and build up from there.
2. Take a walk. Breathe in the air, pay attention to sights, sounds and smells.
3. Use all your senses for mindful eating. Pay attention to the look, the texture, the smell and taste of your food. Take longer to chew before swallowing.
4. Institute a mindful bedtime routine with a body scan or a gratitude exercise.
5. Try a meditation - find one on Youtube, mindful.org or use the free Insight Timer app (or any of the apps below).
Mindfulness Apps for Kids
Smiling Mind - www.smilingmind.com.au
Free Australian app with great body scan meditations to develop awareness
Headspace (for kids) - www.headspace.com/meditation/kids
Mindfulness activities for different age levels.
Insight Timer - insighttimer.com
Free app with meditations for parents and kids focusing on relaxation, stress management, concentration and sleep.
Emotional Health
Download this week's Bingo sheet.
What is S.E.L.?
"SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions." From CASEL's website
Did you know...?
- SEL is for the whole family - students and parents - and can be developed at school and at home.
- SEL is backed by research. Benefits of SEL include improved academic performance and general well-being, positive behavior, enhanced social skills and decreased levels of distress.
- There are 5 core social and emotional competencies - read more about them below.
S.E.L. Core Competencies
Self-Awareness
- Read about Self-Awareness here.
- The Big Feelings List may help your family to discuss different types of emotions.
- How to use language that promotes self discipline and responsibility when talking to your children
- A chore chart by age
Self-Management
- Read about Self-Management here.
Social Awareness
- Read about Social Awareness here.
Relationship Skills
- Read about Self-Management here.
- Parent coaching strategies to raise confident kids
- A "Fighting Fairly Family Pledge" to improve family interactions
Responsible Decision-Making
- Read about Responsible Decision-Making here.
- Some parent FAQs
Want more?
How to develop SEL skills at home
How reading at home together can develop SEL skills
Here is a book list for parents who want to know more about raising confident children
Let's not forget the amazing resources our school counselors have to offer. Read about the Second Step program at our Wake County school.
Check out the Action For Happiness website that includes a calendar with tasks that build social and emotional health.
