Are you celebrating the sixth annual Every Kid Healthy Week this week at your school? This annual observance was created to acknowledge school health and wellness achievements. This special week highlights the efforts schools are making to improve the health and wellness of their students and raise awareness about the benefits of providing students with healthier food choices. It is vital to focus on the link between nutrition, physical activity, and learning because great health is the key to students succeeding academically!

According to Rob Bisceglie, CEO of Action of Health Kids, “…the need to support health and wellness programs in schools remains a critical health and education issue. Working with thousands of schools and dozens of other organizations nationwide, we are collectively trying to help put kids on a healthy path so they can succeed academically and develop habits that will keep them healthy for a lifetime.”

There are many easy ways to promote healthy and fun activities in your school! You could:

• Plan an event with a fun physical activity.
• Host a food tasting event with healthy options such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Schedule an assembly for students to review the importance of good health.
• Get the whole school moving with a Field Day.
• Coordinate a family fun fitness game night at school.

Any small changes implemented in your school can drastically help promote health awareness in students and parents. Healthy children show improved test scores, better classroom behavior, and higher attendance rates. So how can we not aim to improve student health and wellness?

Every Kid Healthy Week Puts Schools on the Map
Since Every Kid Healthy Week was launched by Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) in 2013, more than 5,000 schools and 2.5 million students, school staff, and community volunteers have celebrated Every Kid Healthy Week.

Learn how offering better school snacks and lunch options can help your students keep better focus in class, and develop lifelong healthy habits by checking out our Stocking Your Student Snack Store with Healthy Options blog!