By

Liz Ayers,   Pleasant Hill Elementary

Play:

Community Playtime – It’s Good for Everyone

Topics:

Access to Healthy Foods, Community Involvement, Physical Activity Participation,  Student Leadership

On the evening of January 12, 2017, we hosted a family event. The event was free and open to everyone in our community. The event was a coordinated effort by the PE team, the school's PTA and our Fuel Up to Play 60 student team. At the event, families were able to get active at bowling, Zumba and obstacle course. Participants were able to sample a fruit or veggie for every letter in the alphabet at the Eat the Alphabet center. Every family planned a tomato seedling to take home and nurture. And finally, participants took part in our Health Quiz game show. The event was well attended.

How did students and adults work together as a team?

Students on our Fuel Up to Play 60 team and the PE teachers worked together to plan the event. Students helped advertise the event and helped man the stations at the event.

What improvements have you seen at your school?

The Eat the Alphabet station was very popular. At the station, participants were able to taste test 26 different fruits and veggies. In follow-up discussions, students reported that they discovered new foods that they like and that their parents are now purchasing the foods for consumption at home. This is a huge WIN! Any time a student selects a healthy food choice is great. We were blessed to be able to provide the opportunity to provide 26 foods for the participants to sample.

How did you accomplish your goals?

One of our goals for the event was to help get the healthy messages taught during PE home to the parents. In the past, we sent home newsletters containing the healthy messages, but we didn't know how often the newsletters were read. We believe that hands-on, active participation is a better way to share the concepts. Parents were surprised at how much their children had already learned in PE class.