Taking a break is a proven way to improve concentration, increase creativity, enhance problem-solving skills, reduce stress, and contribute to your overall health and well-being. Power Chargers are a great way to do that!
Health Powered Kids’ Power Chargers are a collection of short exercises designed to give kids (and adults!) a quick activity break throughout the day. You can use Power Chargers to wake up kids in the morning, energize them after lunch or help keep them focus throughout the day!
Visit the new and improved Power Chargers page on the Health Powered Kids website to find 2, 5, or 10-minute activities to give you and your family a break. Use the filter at the top of the page for exercises adapted for every ability!
Staying Active
Staying active is important for our mental and physical well-being. For specific lessons on physical activity and its benefits, check out Health Powered Kids’ Be Active page.
From helping us keep our balance to collecting sounds, processing those sounds and sending signals to our brains, ears serve a variety of functions. Though they don’t require much in the way of care, it’s important to know the different parts of the ear and how to protect them in certain situations.
Share this Listen Hear! lesson with the little ones in your life and create a model ear drum to learn about how sound travels from the air to our brains.
For a bonus activity, try a mindful walking exercise outside and listen to the sounds around you!
Last Chance!
Let us know what you think by completing this brief survey from Health Powered Kids! You could have a chance to win a $20 gift card!
Spring into the Season!
When the snow begins melting, the birds start singing and the sunshine lasts just a little bit longer, we know spring is in the air. And this year, we are welcoming the season with open arms! It may be too early to start planting outdoors but starting seeds indoors can be a rewarding activity for the whole family.
Starting seeds indoors is a fun and affordable way to grow a wide variety of plants. It’s also a great project for kids to help them learn about where food comes from, the benefits of water, and healthy food options all while instilling a sense of responsibility.
Check out this easy-to-follow guide from University of Minnesota Extension to start your own indoor garden!
These related lessons from Health Powered Kids can help keep you and your family busy over the coming months:
There’s Still Time…
Let us know what you think by completing this brief survey from Health Powered Kids! You could have a chance to win a $20 gift card!
We Want to Hear From You!
For a chance to win a $20 gift card, complete this brief survey from Health Powered Kids!
Your Happy Heart
The heart is a muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood to the body and brings oxygen-poor blood back to the heart and lungs. Just like any other muscle, we have to exercise it (or use it) to keep it healthy.
Exercise helps your heart – and your body – stay healthy in a number of ways:
- Helps your body maintain overall good health.
- Helps build and maintain healthy and strong bones and muscles.
- Increases flexibility and aerobic endurance.
Physical activity can also raise your self-esteem, improve your mood, help you sleep better and give you more energy.
Check out the Your Happy Heart lesson from Health Powered Kids to learn more ways to keep your heart happy and healthy!
We can feel happier and healthier if we choose to spend our time in ways that are more in line with our values.
Values help guide our behaviors, decisions, and actions. When we understand our values, we can make decisions that help us live in alignment with those values.
Try this “Know What Matters To You” lesson from Health Powered Kids to help you identify your values and reflect on how closely your values align with how you spend your time.
We Want to Hear From You!
For a chance to win a $20 gift card, complete this brief survey from Health Powered Kids!
Stress can have a powerful impact on our bodies. From upset stomachs to headaches and changes in appetite, stress can physically affect us in a number of ways.
The good news is that because our bodies and minds are so connected, we can also do things with our bodies that help our minds and our whole body relax.
Take a break and try this “Stress Busters” lesson from Health Powered Kids to help your body let go of stress or try one of Change to Chill’s upcoming Let’s Talk Wellness webinars.
We Want to Hear From You!
Health Powered Kids is looking for your feedback! Take this brief survey and enter your email address for a chance to win a $20 gift card from Health Powered Kids!
In these cold winter months, it’s important to exercise our bodies as well as our brains. Research shows that exercise, particularly aerobic activity that involves an element of coordination, has benefits for young people that go far beyond fitness.
Aerobic activity is any physical activity that increases your heart rate and breathing. It helps improve your heart and lung fitness. Some examples include brisk walking, hiking, jogging/running, biking, swimming, skiing, jumping rope, dancing and aerobics class.
Studies have found that young people who participate in physical activity consistently have more academic success than their peers who participate less.
Learn more and share the benefits with young people you know with this “Exercise Your Brain” lesson from Health Powered Kids.
We Want to Hear From You!
Health Powered Kids is looking for your feedback! Take this brief survey and enter your email address for a chance to win a $20 gift card from Health Powered Kids!
Throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, schools have converted from in-person classroom settings to distance learning. While this technology is transforming the way educators reach students, too much screen time can also be harmful to our eyes.
Along with the potential to damage our eyes, increased screen time is also often associated with decreased activity. A decrease in physical activity can lead to a host of other mental and physical health issues.
Winter breaks provide opportunities to silence the screens in our lives and engage in activities outside or indoors. While students take a break from school, challenge them to be creative and try a new physical activity or hobby that doesn’t involve screen time
Looking for a good place to start? Share this Decreasing Screen Time lesson with your kids and try this Noticing Walk and Reflection with the whole family!
Healthy Recipes
Take a break from the sweet treats this season and cook up something healthy together as a family. Check out these Healthy Recipes from Health Powered Kids.
With winter break fast approaching, kids will soon be home from school full-time if they aren’t already. This year looks different in so many ways – from modified holiday celebrations to museum closures, out-of-home activities are hard to come by.
But who says staying at home means you can’t visit your family’s favorite places? Check out these activities from Health Powered Kids and organizations across the globe to make this winter break one to remember!
Looking for activities for middle or high school students? Explore these activities from Change to Chill.
Virtual Care Package
Check out Health Powered Kids’ Virtual Care Package for more tips and ideas to keep your kids healthy and engaged!
Avoiding Cabin Fever
From familiar music to seasonal favorite treats, there’s no place like a warm, cozy home while the snow falls outside. But let’s face it – too much time indoors can make anyone stir-crazy.
As we face another season with kids at home more than usual, we’re tasked with entertaining them, making sure they’re logged in and they’re school work is complete all while juggling our other responsibilities.
Health Powered Kids is here to help with lessons and activities to keep your kids entertained for hours. Teach your kids about healthy nutrition with fun recipes or lead them through a handwashing exercise to demonstrate the importance of hygiene during flu season.
To help release some of that built up energy, try these Power Chargers with them today! Kids can even complete a bingo card, take a photo and submit it to [email protected] for the chance to win a prize!
Virtual Care Package
Check out Health Powered Kids’ Virtual Care Package for more tips and ideas to keep your kids healthy and engaged!
