Healthy habits start early in life. Encouraging and supporting very young children to enjoy active play and choose nutritious foods can set a lifelong pattern of healthy active living. There are lots of ways to grow healthy but you don't have to do them all at once. The 5-2-1-0 message provides suggestions for building healthy, active lives for everyone. Early care and education staff can share this information with parents as a reminder to make healthy choices every day.
These supplemental pages look at serving sizes for the different age groups and how they differ from adult portions. Find talking points for home visitors to use with families when discussing how to develop healthy meal routines.
Growing Healthy Family Goals Worksheet and Postcard
All parents know they should teach their children to eat healthy and encourage them to exercise. However, that can be hard to do, especially when it feels like everything about your current lifestyle needs to change. Use this worksheet with families to help them start behaviors that will improve the health and wellness of everyone at home.
Share this postcard with parents to put on the refrigerator as a reminder to make healthy choices every day.
Active Play: Tips for Families
Head Start health managers and family service staff can use this tip sheet to share information with families on active play. It includes tips for families to help their young children develop positive active play behaviors.
Healthy Active Living: Tips for Health Managers
This tip sheet helps Head Start health managers provide important information to program staff on healthy active living. It includes concrete information on the importance of physical activity, a healthy diet, and quality sleep to the overall growth, development, and learning of young children.
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Resource Type: Publication
National Centers: Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety
Audience: Directors and Managers
Last Updated: April 2, 2024