A fun-filled nutrition and physical activity guide designed by the Health Education Council!
Are you struggling to make a difference in the nutrition and exercise habits of California students? Then let the games begin! The Nutrition Decathlon Tool Kit combines physical activity with nutrition education, providing games, activities, and taste-testing opportunities that focus on fruits and vegetables. As an added bonus, the activities are linked to the California State Content Standards, reinforcing classroom learning.
The kit includes ten lively activity stations, such as Coconut Bowling, Carrot Hop, Berry Relay, and Citrus Hike. Students gain access to the activities by answering nutrition-related questions at the Food for Thought station. Rotating from activity to activity, students end at a taste-testing booth where they enjoy samples of delicious fruits and vegetables.
The kit includes: a complete list of materials needed, setup and layout guidelines, staffing suggestions, and step-by-step activity directions. You'll also find creative ideas for involving older student volunteers.
Why Plan a Nutrition Decathlon?
- Nearly 40 percent of California children are not physically fit, and more than 25 percent are overweight.
- Poor diet and physical inactivity are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States and together account for 400,000 deaths per year. Only tobacco accounts for more, at 435,000 deaths.
- Fewer than 15 percent of school children eat the recommended servings of fruit, and fewer than 20 percent eat the recommended servings of vegetables.
- Only 29 percent of adolescents reported getting the recommended minimum of one hour of physical activity per day.
Also included with the Tool Kit, an interactive CD
The Nutrition Decathlon Tool kit also includes a CD that contains printable materials from all the lessons, photos of the events, and logos.