We all know that healthy students are better learners. Healthy habits continue to pay off over the long term as kids grow up.
Our new Healthy Habit Wheel poster features habits in three categories — lifestyle, diet, and exercise — all centered on the Dietary Guidelines and the Physical Activity Guidelines.
Here are some ways to use the Healthy Habit Wheel with students in the classroom:
- Healthy Habit of the Week: The class works on one habit per week. Start the week off with a brainstorm session on how to achieve the habit. End the week with students reporting on how they did.
- Healthy Habit Thought Box: On a slip of paper, students write a sentence or two telling how they practiced a healthy habit (like drinking water at lunch instead of soda), then put it in a special box or basket. When the teacher has a few extra minutes during the day, they can pull out some entries to share with the class.
- Healthy Habit Inventory: Have students check off the habits they already do. Then they can design their own wheel with the habits they need to work on.
- Healthy Habit Journal: Students have a special notebook or document where they write about their journey around the Healthy Habit Wheel.
- Healthy Habit Expo: Break students up into small groups. Each group researches a habit, then presents their findings to the rest of the class.
Hollis Bass, MEd, RD, LD
