Take a Break!

Posted on May 25, 2021

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.

Owatonna People’s Press news: Lincoln Elementary HPK Halloween Candy Collection

Posted on December 12, 2017

OWATONNA [Dec. 8, 2017] — Congratulations to Lincoln Elementary School students who collected 171.1 pounds of candy during the recent Halloween Candy Collection event, Nov. 1-2. They won a Health Powered Kids prize pack and cash prize of $250 from Allina Health.

“This was a great way to engage our local schools in an event that promotes healthy living and candy in moderation,” said Natalie Ginter, director of Community Engagement and Development. “Plus, the generosity of each child did not go unnoticed…the troops definitely appreciate this.”

During the two-day event, students were asked to bring their Halloween candy to school. For each pound collected, Allina Health donated $1 to local food shelves and the candy was donated to programs, through Operation Gratitude in California, that send gift boxes to troops overseas.

To read the full article, click here.

Is there too much sugar in your diet?

Posted on March 18, 2016

[KMSP Fox 9, March 10, 2016] Did you know that the average bottle of soda has more sugar in it than the USDA says is good for you to consume in just one day? Allina Health’s Elizabeth Vander Laan, a registered dietician with the Abbott Northwestern Weight Loss Program talked about all the sugar in our diet we might not realize is there on Fox 9’s Jason show.

Balloon Blast

Posted on August 3, 2015

Description

For these games you will need medium to large balloons (any color). Consider latex-free balloons as some students may have allergies to latex.

Divide students into equal groups of 3 to 6 people per group. These games can be done either standing or sitting.

Have the each group form a circle. Using just one balloon, see how many times they can volley the balloon without it hitting the ground or see how long they can keep it in the air (i.e. 1 minute, 2 minutes, etc.) The team that keeps the balloon up the longest wins!

A different version of this game would be to add a second balloon to the mix and have the students try the same activity.

Modification Option

Give youth the option to do this from a seated position so individuals who use a wheelchair can join in the fun, too!