This week is Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Week! You can learn more about CACFP here.
Keeping children healthy involves more than just nutritious meals and exercising. Involve your children in the kitchen, let them pick out the produce at the grocery store and active play with them!
One activity you can do with your children involves a beach ball! Now is the time to find beach balls on sale at the Dollar Store.
Infants
Lay your infant on their tummy, draped over the beach ball. While holding them securely, roll them forward and back to strengthen those core tummy and neck muscles. You can sing the song, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, for fun.
Toddlers
You can use this same activity for a toddler and ask them to touch the ground with their hands when you roll forward and with their toes when they roll back. You can also use the ball to practice kicking and running, which are both great skills for a toddler to work on!
Preschoolers
Ask your preschooler to hold the beach ball in the air, hands over their head, and to throw the beach ball to you. Hold up a hula hoop or broomstick and ask them to throw it INTO the hoop or OVER the broom.