Healthy classrooms

Remember when you were a kid and it was Tommy’s birthday and his mom brought those delicious cupcakes with the mounds of frosting to school? Picture with me all that syrupy sweet frosting in dazzling colors piled to the sky on top of a fluffy cupcake. While we are visualizing cupcakes, let’s do some cupcake math. If a teacher celebrates 30 students’ birthdays during the year, or about one per week in a nine-month school year, in addition to holidays like Halloween, Christmas, Valentines, and St. Patrick’s day, that can add up to a lot of sugary treats.

MyPlate teaches moderation, so there is nothing wrong with a sweet treat every now and again. However, there are many ways to have enjoyable classroom celebrations without so many sweets. Here are a few suggestions to make your classroom, or even your workplace, a healthier environment:

Holidays –

• Provide guidelines for parents about approved foods to bring. A short list with classroom policies and healthy examples can make a big difference in the types of foods that enter the classroom.
• Make foods look fun and festive, by adding seeds or nuts and making fun shapes with fruits and vegetables. 
• Give alternative treats like bracelets, rings, crossword puzzles, maze games or yo-yo’s.
• For Halloween, celebrate with fun crafts instead of bags of candy; have students make masks and act out spooky plays.
• For Valentine’s Day have students write out nice comments about each classmate and pass them out during class. Instead of candy, consider treats like pencils, erasers and stickers.

Birthdays –

• Plan special games and activities, instead of food. Obstacle courses and relay races are a hit with all grade levels.
• Hand out low-cost treats like stickers, pencils, erasers, or other small items.
• Make a “VIP Birthday Kit” for the class with a birthday button, badge or crown.
• Allow birthday students to bring their favorite thing from home to show and tell.
• Let the birthday child be first in line for lunch or recess on his/her special day.
• Celebrate all the birthdays of the month on one day, and limit the food items to fruits, veggies and small cupcakes. Cutting cupcakes in half is a great way to reduce sugar and fat intake while enjoying treats in moderation.

Class rewards –

• Award with fun activities such as art, music and cooking demonstrations.
• Have the class earn special rewards: “Game Time” – children earn letters to spell “game time” and earn reading/story time, the chance to play educational board games or extra recess time. 
• Lessons outside.
• Dancing to music in class or listening while working.
• Earn “Friday Free Time” or extended recess time.
• A smoothie party.
• A special field trip.

With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s never too early to transition students and parents to a healthy classroom environment.  Remember, these tips are great for the classroom but also useful for work celebrations! For more information visit: www.choosemyplate.gov.

Tips adapted, in part, from the Network for a Healthy California Children’s PowerPlay! campaign.