School Fitness Workouts for Kids: Stretching, breathing and Yoga for kids

Schools often put the cart before the horse trying to educate a child's mind while ignoring bodily needs. Tired, hungry, uncomfortable children don't learn well. Here are school fitness workouts for kids to improve mental functioning. Use yoga stretches and breathing exercises for classroom phys ed. Yoga makes perfect winter school fitness workouts for kids because they can do yoga in the classroom--no need to go to the gym or outdoors. Yoga stretches and breathing exercises foster learning. 

Lest any parent object to the use of yoga in schools, for religious reasons or otherwise, this isn't meditative yoga, it's just basic asanas or postures. Call it Brain Gym or just phys ed if that makes parents feel better. 

Why use yoga in the classroom? For 6-8 hours a day, students sit in uncomfortable desks, breathing stale, recycled air. When she's not sitting, she's lugging around an achingly heavy backpack. She gets very little healthy exercise but a lot a stress and strain. Many schools have phys ed, but generally only one to three times per week. High school students get none unless it's an elective. School fitness workouts for kids are essential, even if they're just short ones. 

Do short periods of yoga for kids or other stretching and breathing exercises throughout the school day serves several purposes. Yoga strengthens lungs by teaching students to breathe deeply and use oxygen more efficiently. Yoga breathing calms the mind, body and spirit. It puts students in a tranquil, receptive frame of mind for learning. Yoga stretches and breathing exercises, even without meditation, purges the body of negative energy. Yoga is particularly useful for special needs students who can't do certain exercises or who suffer anxiety. 

The benefits of stretching periodically are many. Students experience fewer cramped muscles, stomachaches, headaches and discomfort. They are more attentive when given a chance to limber up. Students are happier and more willing to cooperate when they know that teacher cares about their whole self, not just the thinking part. Yoga requires no special equipment. It's perfect for school fitness workouts for kids and in-class phys ed. 

Try doing whole group yoga for kids stretches and breathing exercises twice a day. Start first thing in the morning and immediately after lunch. Utilize "waiting in line" time and walking halls for mini phys ed breaks. School fitness workouts for kids help keep them focused. Do whole body stretches and deep breathing exercises. If kids are concentrating on yoga stretches, there will be less need for obligatory teacher shushing in the hallway. Once students get the hang of yoga stretches, fitness workouts and breathing exercises while walking, they will do it automatically whenever they are waiting somewhere. Here are yoga for kids videos. 

Health science lesson plans: Nutrition chemistry and recipes to fight obesity

Childhood obesity is a dangerous health issue that affects more kids annually. What can we as parents and teachers do about it? Weight loss under age 13 is tricky because preteens are still growing. Better to teach good nutrition in health and science lesson plans. Here are healthy food swaps for favorites kid foods and ways to teach nutrition in the classroom. 

* Salt: Teach properties of salt in kitchen chemistry lesson plans. Teach children to read labels and seek out low-sodium varieties of favorite snacks. Put out healthy snacks and let kids make trail mix in snack size bags to control portions. Make low salt popcorn in class. For fun nutrition lesson plans, instruct kids to research salt substitutes--lemon juice, vinegar and herbs.

* Soda pop. Have students study nutrition labels to discover how much sugar pop contains. In chemistry
science lesson plans, demonstrate how sugar dehydrates, and how the acid in pop burns grime off a penny and in the same way burns stomach lining and tooth enamel. Help students create healthy carbonated drink recipes with 100 percent fruit juice and soda water. Demonstrate the importance of plain water in curbing obesity and overall health. 

* Pizza: Kids love pizza and there are a million great ways it can be used in lesson plans. Let students make clock faces with vegetables and cheese on personal crusts. Experiment with creative pizza recipes using healthy toppings and creative crust food swaps. Made right, pizza can actually fight childhood obesity. 

* Veggies and dip: Kids love vegetables in ranch dip so let them invent healthy dip and dressing recipes. Use food swaps of yogurt, garlic, pepper and a little Parmesan cheese. Teach colors and patterns with cut vegetables. Help them to explore texture and taste and then write descriptively. 

* Spreads and condiments: This is a great place to learn measurement and portion size. Let kids practice measuring serving sizes of ketchup, jam for PBJ, butter, mayo, etc. Explore calories and teach math by counting and adding calories in math lesson plans. 

* Breads: Help kids explore healthy vs. unhealthy ingredients in breads. Bring in your bread machine and use it to teach cooking, nutrition and kitchen chemistry lesson plans. Help kids invent and write nutritious bread recipes using different grains, nuts, seeds and dried fruits. 

No nutrition lesson plans are complete without the fitness component. Get kids away from screens and outside playing. Active children will not need to worry about weight loss and obesity. 

Free Printable Apple Themed Lesson Plans

Autumn in Michigan means apples. Apples are a common theme for preschool and elementary school students. Teachers and homeschoolers, are you teaching a unit on apples? Have I got a great sweet treat for you: free printable apple-themed lessons, apple coloring pages, apple games, worksheet and activities. There are math, social studies, science, reading, history, writing connections and more. 

 A to Z Teacher Stuff for more links to dozens of free printable apple lesson plans, crafts, mini booklets, games and worksheets. Most are geared to ages pre-K to grades 4.There are apple crafts, games, life science lesson plans and more!

Free Printable Fire Prevention Week Activities and Lessons

  Fire Prevention Week runs the first full week in October. Here are fire safety printables and emergency preparedness lessons for Fire Prevention Week. Use free printable fire prevention activities, worksheets, coloring pages, stickers, games, puzzles and crafts to help kids learn vital life-saving skills. Here are free printable family activities for Fire Prevention Week. Across the country, fire fighters, public safety officers, schools, communities and families will be teaching kids about safety this October, just in time for the holiday season.

National Fire Prevention is an organization dedicated to teaching people about fire safety and fire prevention. This link takes you to the Fire Prevention Week page. Look for free printable emergency escape plans, home maps, charts, phone numbers lists, safety check-lists and other fire prevention resources. Activities are printed in English and Spanish. Check your local community fire station for details on events they may be hosting.

Print smoke alarm safety sheet, family safety checklist, smoke alarm tutorial poster, family fire escape grid route and classroom unit on fire prevention. Use for back to school science lesson plans. It's a good idea to teach a safety unit as soon as you begin classes in the fall. Educators and homeschoolers there are packets of printable information to use in lesson plans. Scroll through for grade and language appropriate lesson

Sparky the Fire Dog has his own website kids can play on. Print a Sparky origami dog. Play interactive games with Sparky, while learning important science lessons. Kids can learn fire safety in a safe, hands-on activities. They'll love the fire role play games and simulations.

Healthy School Snacks Ideas for Lunch

I'm on a mission to root out unhealthy school snacks that claim to be healthy and expose their true lack of nutritional value. I've had it with school snacks that proclaim to be healthy but are in fact full of junk. 

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Bars and Eggo Nutri-Grain Waffles and most cereal and granola bars. Loaded with high fructose corn syrup, artificial color and hydrogenated fat, low protein and junk carbs. These are just cookies with a fancy "nutritional" name added. Look for snack bars with no HFCS and protein.

Sun Maid yogurt covered raisins: We are supposed to assume that because these raisins are coated in yogurt and not chocolate, that they have the health goodness of yogurt and are better for us. Wrong. Yogurt covered raisins are basically candy covered raisins. But they don't taste as good as Raisinets.

General Mills and Post Cereal Bars: Initially Post and GM had the audacity to market these as milk and cereal bars. Pulleez- they are basically Coco Puffs and Fruit Loops mixed with marshmallow and pasted together with more marshmallow. In short they are candy bars. Make Rice Krispie Treats at home and you'll be farther ahead. Or give your kids Coco-Puffs with milk. Or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks: Betty Crocker isn't the only one selling us a crock with her packaged 'fruit snacks'. Fruit snacks are a misnomer for highly sugared gelatin tidbits, similar to Juji Fruits and Dots, that come luridly colored , in bizarre flavors and are shaped like cartoon characters. Just the names Fruit Gushers, Fruit by the Foot (a sort of high fructose tape) make me ill. In my day, we called these fruit snacks candy. Welches and Sunkist Fruit Snacks are one step up. They at least do not have artificial color and do contain some fruit juice and 100% RDA of Vitamin C. You could just send the child to school with an orange or a banana.

Easy Classroom Fitness Workouts

The Ultimate Guide to Quick Fitness Workouts About half or more of all students live sedentary lives. And the classroom environment makes the problem worse. Learning is doing. We know that children who sit all day do not learn as well. They get distracted, bored and sleepy. Here are over 70 activities to get in a quick mini workout throughout your school day. Easy, interactive and fun! No materials required! 

Do you make exercise a part of your day? Is family fitness a priority? For many parents, it's not the lack of ambition, it's their crazy-busy lifestyles. How do you fit quick workouts into an already hectic day? Here are multitasking mom's mini workouts to wedge in your cram-packed schedule. These aren't hardcore extreme fitness regimes but they do satisfy the family fitness vs. time crunch dilemma. 

Get double duty out of the things you already do now by adding in quick workouts. The trick is to extract exercise from every activity you do. Long ago, people weren't obese and didn't work out. They did work constantly. Turn chores into mini workouts--do chores outside for a fitness trifecta: fresh air, exercise and productivity! As with any fitness, be sure to warm up, cool down, don't overdo it and obey your doctor when you exercise with children. 

Quick workouts out in public. Take every opportunity you can find to walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk through your plant, office, school or facility at break time. Don't ride anything or take the elevator. Walk the entire store when you grocery shop, stopping in every section. Run up the stairs to exercise with children. 

Family fitness routines: Walk your child to the bus stop (Why drive 2 blocks on a nice day?) Take a family bike ride to do errands close by (drop off library books, mail letters, grab a few groceries, pay bills). Park farther from buildings and stores so you will have to walk further. Teach children to use the stairs as an exercise machine (carefully so they don't get hurt, though.) Walk the dog, cat, hamster, etc. Take a family walk to do nearby errands--get the newspaper, buy milk, drop things off at church. Pull kids and stuff in the wagon (take turns pulling). Bag your own groceries and carry them out. When you go downtown or to a shopping mall, park and walk to each store (don't drive the car to hit stores a few doors down). 

Family fitness through community activities. Volunteer for Walk for Warmth, March of Dimes Walk-athon, jogging benefits and marathons. Enter your family in a parade. Walk the local outdoor farmer's market, craft show or flea market. Garage sale at a block sale. 

Quick workout at work. Whatever your occupation, try to get up and move around every 15 minutes or so. Go to the copy room or mail room. Hand deliver a few messages instead of emailing or texting everything. Touch base with fellow employees. Teachers and homeschool parents, "cruise" the classroom. You will help students and monitor problems. No one teaches as well from behind a desk. Check in with supervisor, spot-check problems, communicate on the move. 

Multitasking mini workouts at your desk. At the computer, in the car, on the bus or while reading, do these strengthening exercise with children. Tighten, hold and relax muscles in this sequence-- abdomen, buttocks, chin, Kegel (pelvis). Point and flex each foot and knee occasionally. 

Multitasking family fitness at home: Walk briskly as you gather laundry, dishes or tidy the house. When you go up or down stairs, carry something (dirty laundry, stuff to put away, etc.) Log how many times you go up or down stairs ant try to increase that number by one each day. Pick up a cheap exercise bike and ride it while you read or watch TV. Watch for exercise equipment on garage sales. Get in some upper body stretches as you put clothes or groceries on upper shelves. Hang clothes on the line and do some toe touches and side stretches. Practice lower body stretches as you gather toys from the floor.

Exercise with children doing chores. When you mop or vacuum, try staying in one place and reaching to move the vacuum to further points. Fully extend as you sort laundry on the floor and fill washer and dryer. Cleaning windows, mirrors, or the shower is a good time to work out your upper arms. Move them up

and down and back and forth about 10 times each. As the counter, do some yoga tree poses. Place one foot on the other leg and stand on one foot without holding on. Do this when you put on shoes and socks. Tighten and relax muscles to exercise with children while reading or watching TV. 

Outdoor tasks as mini workouts. Shovel snow. Shovel your neighbor's now and then. Do as much reasonable lifting and carrying as you can when you: move, buy new furniture, rearrange furniture, etc. Clean your carpets with a steam cleaner--great back and shoulder toner. Vacuum and wash your own car. Bend, stretch and extend in home remodeling. Remove wallpaper, paint and hang new wallpaper for super whole body workouts. Remember in "The Karate Kid" movie when Mr. Myagi got Daniel in shape by waxing the car and painting the fence?

Use hand tools instead of power tools-- hammer, saw, drill or screwdriver--for a good arm and hand workout. Even using power tools is good for quick workouts. Each time you scrub anything--floor, shower, carpets,--you give your arms and back some good rhythmic stretching. Get off the riding lawn mover and workout with a non-electric or walking lawn mower. Always stretch your neck and shoulder muscles to keep them limber and relaxed 

Family fitness multitasking mini workouts at play. Roller blade or bike on a date or with friends. Don't just sit and watch at the playground--play with your kids. Use any school playground when school is out. Play tag or catch. Push children on the swing or merry-go-round. Go on a nature hunt. Push little ones in the stroller. Carry the toddler or baby in a sling. Do climb and slide exercise with children. Take the kids for a walk down the street. Take a few neighbor kids or visit with the elderly. Bike to the  playground or park (bring water and a snack). Play in the sprinkler or practice throwing, kicking, batting and catching balls. Play badminton in the backyard ( a set is under $10). Set up a basketball hoop or tether-ball pole. Make a walk date after dinner with your spouse. You can use this time to catch up or just have a laugh. Coach or assist with a kids' sports team. Join a walking group

Book to Movie Films for Psychology Lesson Plans

Movies, whether independent films, documentaries or Hollywood blockbusters, have a powerful impact on how we understand concepts. Whether information is accurate, exaggerated or false, if it's portrayed in movie form we tend to accept and believe it more readily. Some of the most pervasive ways movies influence information is in the area of mental illness, mental institutions and institutional behavior.

Looking for films to use in psychology lesson plans about mental institutions and emotional illness? Here are some One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (and now the Netflix spinoff "Ratched")Girl Interrupted, Shutter Island, Patch Adams, K-Pax, Sybil, The Snake Pit, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden and Girl Interrupted.  

It's important to discuss, in psychology lesson plans, the sometimes inaccurate portrayals about mental illness and institutions. People are often shown as being treated cruelly in institutions. "The Snake Pit" (1948) with Olivia de Haviland, is not far off with it's depiction of institutions of that time. "Girl Interrupted" (1998) with Angelina Jolie gives a fairly accurate picture of how institutional behavior develops. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" has strong merit as a mental institution expose.

Sensationalized stories can also block our vision. They take the focus off the real issues with over-dramatized, lurid depictions. "Shutter Island" (2009) is a perfect example. Viewers were prepared to be terrified by gruesome mental institution scenes. What they got was a complex, multi-layered story that poked holes in many accepted fallacies about mental illness. Some accusation of sensationalism has been levied at "Sybil" (1976). I have used and would continue to use the film in psychology classes, for Sally Field's exceptional performance and because it gives an inside-out look at the effect of child abuse. The important issue is to recognize media hype and deflect it with accurate information.

Healthy School Lunches, Snacks, Treats

Healthy Foods for Kids Nutrition and food is the core of learning. Here's a perfect food and snack guide for students in your classroom. Print out this healthy guide for parents. Nutritious snacks, party food, lunch foods. This is not a list of 'healthy' snacks based on advertising and marketing, but real healthy foods researched by a conscientious mom and teacher. Feed your kids great foods that will give them all they need for busy days! 

Apple and Eve juice boxes-100% fruit and vegetable juice, 100% vitamin C, 30% Vitamin A, no high fructose corn syrup, no additives. 

Peppridge Farm goldfish crackers- no transfat, MSG, hydrogenated fats, made with unbleached flour.

rice cakes: low sodium, no transfat.

Aldi fruit leather; organic, full of vitamins, no sulfites.

Spaghettios: low fat, full serving of vegetables

vegetable egg rolls: lowfat, high protein, full serving of vegetables. Look for MSG (monosodium glutamate) free egg rolls.

Healthy Choice and Annie's soups chicken and vegetarian varieties: no MSG, full serving of vegetables, high in protein, low in fat. Avoid varieties with ham, bacon or sausage as these are cured with nitrites.

tuna packets: low fat, no transfats, rich in Omega-3 oils

bagels: lowfat and high protein and fiber. Look for varieties which do not contain high fructose corn syrup or bleached flour.

Hormel Natural Choice lunchmeats and cold cuts: naturally cured, nitrate and nitrite free.

baby carrots, cucumber slices, green pepper slices, broccoli florets, fresh pea pods, cauliflower florets:

Mann's pre-cut vegetable blend</b></i>

Newman's Own Salad Dressing: no transfat. use for vegetable dip and salad dressing. Made with olive oil.

pretzels: fat free. Look for oat bran varieties. good source of fiber

Lay's Baked Chips and baked tortilla chips: no transfats, hydrogenated fat, baked with sunflower oil.

Newman's Own salsa: no fat or high fructose corn syrup. Perfect dip for chips, pretzels, rice cakes and 

raisins and any dried fruits

Jif Natural peanut butter: no hydrogenated fat or high fructose corn syrup

Chex, Life, Cheerios, Kashi cereals: Dry cereal with almonds and raisins makes a delicious healthy DIY trail mix.

Kraft cheese sticks with no added growth hormones

Kraft cheese singles with no added growth hormones

Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies: all natural ingredients

popcorn with sea salt

Terra sweet potato chips: vitamin A, beta-carotene, no transfat

Silk protein milk drink boxes

Mott's Healthy Harvest applesauce pouches or cups (no added sugar)

hardboiled eggs (keep cold with ice pack in lunch bag)

shelled almonds

Luna Bars organic, made with evaporated cane juice, soy isolate protein. Chocolate Raspberry is my favorite

Clif Bars: made by same company as Luna.

Garden of Eatin' organic Red Hot Blues nacho chips

Give your children the best brain fuel available for their busy days with these healthy brown bag lunch foods. And remember to pack lunches in an insulated lunch container.