-
Healthy Celebrations – Promoting a Healthy School Environment
Birthday parties and holiday celebrations at school provide a unique opportunity to help make healthful eating fun and exciting for children. Schools can take advantage of classroom celebrations to serve food that tastes good, is nutritious, and provide students with an opportunity for nutrition education experiences. Or, shift the focus from the food to the child. Refreshments should complement the fun, not become the “main event.” Choose a variety of activities, games and crafts that children enjoy.
But It’s Just a Cupcake…Typically, foods for school celebrations include cupcakes or brownies, candy, cookies and soda. So what’s the harm? There is nothing wrong with an occasional treat, but unhealthy choices have become the norm rather than the exception.
Overall, our children’s eating habits are poor. Only a small percent of children meet all Food Pyramid (now MyPlate) recommendations. Most children do not eat enough fruits, vegetables or whole grains. Obesity rates among children are still on the rise, with serious health consequences (e.g. obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and dental cavities). Exposure to low-nutrient foods makes it difficult for children to learn how to make healthy food choices. By providing students with nutritious choices whenever food is available (including birthday celebrations and parties), schools can positively influence children’s eating habits.
Benefits of Healthy Celebrations
Healthy Kids Learn Better. Good nutrition is linked to better behavior and academic performance.
Provides Consistent Messages: Providing healthy classroom celebrations demonstrates a school commitment to promoting healthy behaviors. It supports the classroom lessons students are learning about health, instead of contradicting them. Healthy celebrations promote positive lifestyle choices to reduce student health risks and improve learning.
Creates Excitement About Nutrition: Children are excited about new and different things, including fun party activities and healthy snacks. School staff and parents need not worry that children will be disappointed if typical party foods aren’t served in the classroom. Holiday treats and traditional birthday parties with cake will still be available at home.
***Protects Children with Food Allergies: When parents send in food, it is difficult to ensure the safety of children with food allergies. Schools can protect food allergic children by providing nonfood celebrations, or if food is served, obtaining from known sources such as the school food service program (Aramark).
Activities to Celebrate the Child
>Plan special party games and activities. Ask parents to provide game supplies, pencils, erasers, stickers and other small school supplies instead of food.
>Create a healthy party idea book. Ask school staff and parents to send in healthy recipes and ideas for activities, games and crafts. Compile these ideas into a book that staff and parents can use.
>Give children extra recess time instead of a class party. For birthdays, let the birthday child choose and lead an active game for everyone.
>Instead of food, ask parents to purchase a book for the classroom or school library in the birthday child’s name. Read it to the class or invite the child’s parents to come in and read it to the class.
>Instead of a party, organize a special community service project, e.g. invite Senior Citizens in for lunch, make “curechiefs” for chemotherapy patients, and blankets for rescue dogs. Involve parents in planning the project and providing needed materials.
>Create a “Celebrate Me” book. Have classmates write stories or poems and draw pictures to describe what is special about the birthday child.
>Provide special time with the principal or another adult such as taking a walk around the school at recess.
>Create a special birthday package. The birthday child wears a sash and crown, sits in a special chair and visits the principal’s office for a special birthday surprise (pencils, stickers, birthday card, etc.)
>The birthday child is the teacher’s assistant for the day, and gets to do special tasks like make deliveries to office, lead the line, start an activity, and choose a game or story.
Healthy Food Ideas
>Low-fat or nonfat plain or flavored milk, 100% juice, water, flavored/sparkling water (without added sugars or sweeteners), sparkling punch (seltzer and 100% fruit juice)
>Fruit smoothies (blend berries, bananas and pineapple)
>Fresh fruit assortment, fruit and cheese kabobs, fruit salad, fruit with low-fat whipped topping
>Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, banana chips), 100% fruit snacks
>Vegetable trays with low-fat dip, celery and carrots with sun butter and raisins
>Whole-grain crackers with cheese cubes, string cheese or hummus
>Waffles or pancakes topped with fruit
>Pretzels, low-fat popcorn, rice cakes, bread sticks, graham crackers and animal crackers
>Angel food cake, plain or topped with fruit
>Bagel slices with sun butter or ram, fruit or grain muffin (low-fat), whole wheat English muffin, hot pretzels
>Pizza with low-fat toppings (vegetables, lean ham, Canadian bacon), pizza dippers with marinara sauce
>Ham, cheese or turkey sandwiches or wraps (with low-fat condiments)
>Low-fat pudding, low-fat yogurt, squeezable yogurt, yogurt smoothies, yogurt parfaits or banana splits (yogurt and fruit topped with cereal, granola or crushed graham crackers)
>Quesadillas or bean burrito with salsa
>Low-fat breakfast or granola bars
>Low-fat tortilla chips with salsa or bean dip
>Trail/cereal mix (whole-grain, low-sugar cereals mixed with dried fruit, pretzels, etc.)
***check for food allergies
