Kids and Healthy Lifestyles Part 2

This is the continuation of previous post, Kids and Healthy Lifestyle Part 1.

Food and Nutrition at Camp

Many camps look for innovative, fun, tasty ways to provide healthy choices and decision-making skills to their campers.
The following list includes some “tried-and-true” techniques found at camps:

• Teach children to alter food preferences by giving them good choices

• Offer taste tests, expose children to new foods

• Encourage eating breakfast

• Offer new exercise/activity programs

• Reduce “fast food” and junk food for snacks and side dishes (chips, cookies, candy, etc.), provide healthy options at the snack bar or camp store

• Educate children about healthy eating and knowing when to stop eating.

Physical Activity at Camp

Most camp programs are synonymous with activity from walking to field games, and the best camps challenge themselves every year by offering fresh activities to draw in new campers and excite returning campers.
What works

• Physical fitness fun with contests and games

• Active role models at camp

• Physical activity that doesn’t require lots of equipment

• Activity teams or “walking buddies” programs

• Positive feedback on the process of doing your best, emphasizing participation rather than winning or being the best

• A wide variety of new and traditional activities, sports, and games

• Focus on fun and gaining a healthier lifestyle

Social Support

If young people see peers and adults they admire, like their counselors and other campers, engaged in enjoyable active pursuits, they will likely want to model a similar behavior. If your child’s favorite counselor routinely engages in games, swimming, hiking, and other enjoyable activities, it’s easy to imagine that your child will follow suit.  In the company of new and old friends, these new adventures, as well as the shared, nutritious meals are simply more rewarding.

Camps can play a vital role in contributing to lifelong patterns of exercise and excellent nutrition. Camp is a great place to offer good food, great activities, a positive environment, safe and secure location, and most of all, fun.

Adapted from the article, “Kids and Healthy Lifestyles,” by Viki Kappel Spain; M. Deborah Bialeschki, Ph.D.; Karla A. Henderson, Ph.D., published in the September/October 2005 issue of Camping Magazine; Reprinted from CAMP by permission of the American Camp Association; copyright 2006 American Camping Association, Inc.