Live: Be a Health Guard

Objective: Let children engage in hurdling and jumping motions to strengthen their motor coordination and facilitate their physical development. This is also good training for building confidence and solving problem.

Time: 30 minutes

Materials: A CD of 'fruit songs', a CD player, hula hoops, plastic hoops, fruit models, baskets, a 'half-moon stage', low hurdles and a 'healthy board'.

Let's GO!

1. The teacher and children do warm-up exercise together.

    

2. This cyclical physical game is the extension of 'Transformation of the Obese King'. The teacher goes over the story first. Then he/she asks the children to act as health guards to choose healthy refreshments for the king.

    

3. The teacher plays the CD and the children jog and tiptoe in a circle.

    

4. The children have to pass through the plastic hoop and jump over the hula hoops. Then they have to pick some fruit models from the basket.

    

5. The children walk over the 'healthy board' and deliver the fruit models to another basket.

    

6. Finally, the children walk over the 'half-moon stage', hurdle over the low hurdles and run back to the queue.

    

7. The teacher plays some soft music. Everybody starts jogging in a circle; gradually they slow down to walking. Then the whole class sit down and relax.

    

Flow chart

Starting point (Plastic hoop, Four Hula hoops, Fruit basket, Healthy board, Two Fruit basket, Half-moon stage and Low hurdles) run back to Starting point

Stage 3: Sharing Platform

Teacher

• We found the StartSmart@school.hk Pilot Project suited the 'green campus' theme of our school very well. The entire project was launched smoothly with a high level of participation. We will retain the recipes for next year.

   

• Children received fresh fruit as presents at birthday parties. They liked fruit a lot.

   

• Children collected fruit-related information, and brought fruit to school. They also shared home experience about eating guavas or other unusual fruits. They had dropped their dislike for fruits, and they even learnt to identify fruit names.

   

• The teaching activities at K1 level were based on the 'fruit' theme while those at K2 level centred round the Food Pyramid. Meanwhile, we organised physical fitness seminars, parent-child athletic meets, and healthy birthday parties at which fruit presents were given out; these activities received enthusiastic participation from parents. We will keep organising them in the long run so as to promote a healthy lifestyle among our pupils.

   

Conclusion

The StartSmart@school.hk Pilot Project provided the school with sufficient resources, including clearly-instructed and easy-to-do recipes, detailed guidelines and reference materials. Health talks are also organised for schools, parents and children. The project has successfully encouraged children to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Teachers also exercise more than before, and eat more fruit at lunch!