Health and Wellbeing
Health and wellbeing is an integral part of children’s emotional, mental social, environmental and spiritual health. Preschool years are the forming years in which we should promote good nutrition and physical activities. Children at the age of 3 – 5 years are more likely to embrace and adopt healthy living messages than when they reach school years. Parents act as role models for the children. Thus, a healthy lifestyle starts at home, as parents play a crucial role to fostering good healthy choices and physical activity. Nursery School in Abu Dhabi believes that we should work in partnership with parents to teach and create a positive environment in which to ensure children learn about healthy food and fitness habits. We invite the children to take part in cooking sessions to discuss, teach and reinforce healthy eating habits.
We discuss:
- Where healthy food comes from
- Eating fruit and vegetables at every meal
- Eating dairy products and calcium rich foods for strong bones
- Drinking water throughout the day
- Being physically active every day
- The importance of washing our hands before meals.
- Brushing our teeth after meals.
It is important to involve children in cooking at home to encourage fussy eaters to try the food they helped prepare. We encourage parents to visit local farmer markets or take their children to the supermarket to help parents with the weekly shopping and instill healthy choices.
The opportunities for children to participate in our daily sports activities, such as running and using climbing frames, are great for improving strength, balance, fitness and concentration. Group sports are also good for enhancing self-confidence and cooperation. Teaching healthy habits at a young age increases the likelihood that these behaviors will take firm root and last a lifetime.
