A Healthy Field Day is a school-wide field day that incorporates the practical living goals of the Kentucky's Core Content. Classes participate in 10 health related stations.

The students were paired so that older classes worked with the younger classes. The older students behaved very responsibly and the young students were very attentive to their new friend. In addition, we had three guest speakers who were from the educational staff at our local hospital--a doctor and a nutritionist.

The events were held in the gym, library, lunchroom, and outside. Parent volunteers worked all of the events. The events began with a mini-lesson on a health related issue. There was some discussion and then the activity began.

Here are descriptions of some of our Healthy Field Day Events. For more destails e-mail Ruthie at her e-mail address listed above.

1. Circulatory System Obstacle Course Mini Lesson - Food and oxygen are carried by blood through your circulatory system to every cell in your body. Blood moves nutrients throughout your body, fight infection, and helps control your body temperature. Your blood is mostly made up of watery liquid called plasma. The blood travels through your veins, arteries and capillaries. Where is the muscle that pumps your blood throughout your body?

Event Directions - The students go one at time through the obstacle course beginning with an army crawl under bands, over a mat, and through and series of hula hoops to the end where they will try to throw a ring on the top of a cone. (Three tries)

2. Couch Potato Mini Lesson - Being active every day is important for your overall health. Physical activity helps you maintain a healthful weight and strengthens your body systems. What are some of your body systems? (Skeletal, Muscular, Digestive, Circulatory, Respiratory, & Nervous systems). You should exercise at least how many times a week? (At least three times a week for thirty minutes). Aerobic activities are exercises that cause deep breathing and a fast heart rate. Because your heart is a muscle it gets stronger with exercise. Exercise also allows your lungs to hold more air. With a strong heart and lungs your cells get oxygen faster and your body works more efficiently.

Event Directions - This is a tag game in which one student stands in the middle of a designated space. He/she is the "Couch potato." He/she tries to tag the other students as they walk in a straight line from one side of the space to the other side. When a student is tagged, the person in the middle also becomes a couch potato. The game is played until all of the students have been tagged. If there is time the game may be played again. Remember, the students must walk in a straight line. Be aware of students who do not stay with their buddy and get too competitive. The purpose is to show how easy it can be to become a couch potato.

3. Tin Can Ice Cream - The Nutritionist

4. Brush Your teeth Mini Lesson - Hereâs a riddle. You talk with them. You eat with them. They are small, sharp, and white. Can you guess what they are? They are your teeth. Caring for your teeth helps you stay healthy and look your best. If you take care of your teeth, they will last your whole life. You use your teeth to chew your food. Chewing is one of their main functions. Leftover pieces of food on your teeth can cause bacteria on your teeth or plaque. The bacteria in plaque can cause cavities. Brushing after each meal will help prevent cavities. To remove plaque between your teeth, you need to floss.

Event Directions - Students will form 6 equal lines. On the GO signal the first student will run down to the supply box and get a toothbrush and lay it on the picture of the teeth. Then he/she will tag the next student. Then, that student will go to the box and get the toothpaste. The event continues as followed. (Toothbrush, toothpaste, cup, water, towel, mouth rinse, and dental floss) The team that gets all the supplies first wins the event!

5. A Balanced Meal Mini-Lesson - A Food Guide Pyramid is a tool that can help you have a healthful diet. The Food Guide Pyramid divides foods into groups. It tells you how many servings you should eat from each food group each day. It can help you to choose a healthy balance of foods. It reminds you not to eat too many unhealthy foods. By using the Food Pyramid, you can be sure to get a balanced diet.

Event Directions - Students will form 6 equal lines. On GO the first student and their buddy in each line will walk with their lunch tray to the center circle of plastic foods. They will choose a food from the Food Guide Pyramid. After choosing their food and placing it on the tray, they hand the tray to the second student and buddy. The event continues in this way until the team has a food from each group on the Food Guide Pyramid. If a student drops a food, that food must be returned to the circle. The first team to complete the balance sits down. Then they will explain the foods and what group they are from and how they have built a balanced meal.

6. Hospital Exhibit

7. Chicken Fat Mini Lesson - Suppose you eat lots of fatty foods. Fats can stick to you artery walls. Then it is harder for blood to flow through arteries. Your heart has to work very hard to pump the blood through your arteries. Some foods with fat are better for your health than others. Fats that stick to your artery walls are in foods that come from animals. Some examples are meat, milk, butter, ice cream and cheese. Some fats that stick to your artery walls come from vegetable fat. Limit the amount of foods you eat from animals. Eat low-fat foods when you can. Drink skim milk and eat low-fat ice cream and yogurt.

Event Directions - The students will perform the movements to "The Chicken Fat" song.

8. Your Fragile Body Mini Lesson - Your body is very fragile. You must take safety precautions to protect your body from injury. Can you think of a safety precaution you can use to prevent? your body from be injured on a bike? Or a Skateboard? What about in a car? Wearing a safety belt in a car will help to keep you from being forced against the inside of the car or from being throw from the car in the event of a car crash.

Event Directions - The students will be divided into 6 teams. One half of the team will form a line opposite ends of the field. Each team will be given an egg, a large spoon and a rubber band. On go, the first person on each team will take the rubber band and wrap it around the egg. Then they will walk their egg to the other end of the field and hand off to their teammate. The relay continues until all the students have taken their egg on a ride. If a team breaks their egg, they will continue the race without an egg.

9. Your Bones

10. Take Care of Me Mini Lesson - Each of us is different, and yet we are all the same in some ways. We all have needs. A need is something we must have in order to be healthy. The physical, mental, emotional, and social needs we all share are called our basic needs. Can you think of some basic needs you have? Individuals have a responsibility in our families to help ours meet their basic needs. Can you care for someone who is younger than you? How?

Event Directions - The student and buddy will choose one stuffed animal to use as a model of a baby. In the center of the space there will be a stack of cards with directions on their babyâs feelings and what to do to make them feel better. Example: Your child has just fell on the driveway and cut his knee. Go to the first aid kit and make him feel better. Then the student would go to the first aid kit and bandage the babyâs knee. This activity continues for about 10 minutes.

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