4445 - Grow a Healthy Family

Make time for your family by doing these fun activities together.

• Turn off the TV and turn on the fun by playing board games to challenge each other's minds.
• Enjoy the outside by playing in the park, going on nature walks, or planting your own family garden.
• Organize a scavenger hunt either indoors or outdoors. Make a list of items to find, or pick an object, hide it and have everyone search for it in a specific time frame.
• Have everyone pitch in and help out with daily chores. Not only will you spend time with one another but you also get to share in the satisfaction of a job well done.
• Sit down to dinner at least one night a week, to help develop strong bonds with your family. It will give everyone time to talk about their day.
• Pick a project everyone can work on together. Such as cooking or baking, art projects, and puzzles.

Be Active. Be Healthy.

Parents can be role models by eating healthy and being active - your children will do the same. Provide structure with mealtimes and snacks by offering 3 meals and 2-3 snacks a day.

Provide healthy foods and allow children to decide how much food they eat. Children will eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. They will eat the right amount of food they need to grow healthy and strong.

Plan fun family activities throughout the week that encourages physical activity. It will improve strength, build muscle and strong bones, and help maintain a healthy weight.

Physical Activity can also:

• Increase ability for learning
• Increase self-esteem
• Help kids handle stress

For more information check out these useful web sites:

• http://bit.ly/FamilyFitness1
•  www.wichealth.org
•  http://bit.ly/GetActive1

DHS 4445 (R-08-18) Grow a Healthy Family Printed by the Authority of the State of Illinois.  7,000 copies P.O.#19-0127